May 19 Read Matthew 5, Psalm 112 Why Settle for Less?
“With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised. I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws.” Psalm 119:57-58 NIV Before we make a rash judgment of those we see living apart from the express will and commandments of God, we need to remember the times we were doing the same thing. We should pray for God’s patience and forbearance for those presently living in sin that He extended us when we were struggling with some sin and disobedience issues of our own. What we really need to show concern about is not the sin, but the fact that it is keeping someone we know and love from settling for less than God’s best for their lives. When we rebel and insist on doing life with what we think is best for us instead of seeking God’s best for our lives, we are going to miss out on so many of the blessings of obedience that God promises to those who obey. Whether we miss the blessings of obedience promised in the beatitudes, obeying the Ten Commandments, or abiding in Christ; we are missing out on God’s best for our lives. We need to understand that although God loves us unconditionally, many of his best blessings are conditional upon our obedience. Instead of judging and condemning those who shutting themselves off from God’s best by the way they are living their lives, we should keep on praying them towards true repentance and back into the circle of God’s will and the best of His blessings. Only God can change hearts and convict others of their need to repent and be restored. We need to keep on praying for those who have gone astray and take comfort in knowing that God is faithful and will restore those who are truly His. Father, help me to live and encourage others to live fruitful lives pleasing to you so that we can enjoy Your best in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen. | “How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands”
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