Day 143: Be a Solution

Romans 13; 1 Samuel 25; Psalm 68

"So love is all that the Law demands." We humans like to complicate things.  We like to complicate relationships, jobs, school, success, church, life.  If it isn't confusing or frustrating, we humans will find a way to make it that way.  But what Paul tells us is that living this life should be very simple.  The way to please and obey God is not complicated.  We just need to love others.  Show love to our spouse.  Show love to our family  .  Show love to our friends, coworkers, church, strangers, enemies.  Live a life that is filled with acts of love.  I don't think God really cares how many times we go to church in a week, or which Christian books we have read, or how many Christian concerts we have been to.  Yeah, those are great, but after church, are we helping our neighbors, or sharing the message of the greatest Book, or being a loving witness to our friends? "If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands."  Ok, sounds good.

I love the night and day metaphor because it makes so much sense.  People without God, live in the night, where they can do things of the darkness.  God is the light.  As Paul says, "night is almost over," and the sun (Son) is coming soon.  We need to wake up so that we are ready for the "Sonrise" (pun-intended).  I have an app that tells me the exact time of the sunrise, but God doesn't have that kind of app for his Sonrise.  If we keep living like the darkness will go on forever, then when that sun does appear, we are going to be caught in an act that is vulgar or indecent and displeasing to God.  The light (God), the sun (Son), will reveal all those deeds in the darkness, and I know that I want to be caught loving and serving or studying his word, not quarrelling or being indecent.

When disaster was going to strike her family, Abigail didn't sit around and fret or worry; she quickly worked to fix it and protect them.  She acted and God blessed her.  I think he wants the same from us.  When we know disaster is going to strike (it often does, so we can just be ready always), we need to stop just sitting around and being a victim; instead, get up and do something.  Rather than being so sad about victims of sex or labor trafficking, or babies being aborted, or starving children in Africa, we need to help.  Instead of wallowing in despair about poverty, we need to give.  Rather than focusing on all the problems in the church, figure out how to be a solution.  That's what Abigail did and God looked favorably on her.

This psalm tells of God's great power to save, to fight, to protect, to rescue.  We serve THE Almighty, so why would we think he will let us fall?  Yes, we are going to stumble, have hardships, but it isn't because God doesn't care or has left us.  We are humans, they are humans, and stuff happens because of that.  God is there and he will destroy those who hate us and lift us up to glory, in his appointed time.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to trust in him because I know that he is here for me.