“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (Psalm 119:165 NIV)
Love of God’s law keeps you from stumbling in life. Relationships are how we falter. Everything we do involves a relationship. As children, our relationships are with our immediate family. We go to school and have relationships with teachers and faculty, as well as friends. In the working world we have bosses and co-workers. We marry and begin our own family with its own relationships. And last but not least, we have a relationship with God. Relationships formulate our lives. If our relationships are not peaceful, we stumble.
When you look at the 10 Commandments, you realize they are about relationships. The first four are about our relationship with God: no other gods, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, no idols, keep the Sabbath holy. The last six are about relationships with other people: honor parents, no murder, adultery, stealing, lieing or coveting (Exodus 20:1-17 NIV). Applying these laws to your life will cause you not to stumble in your relationships. Life is about relationships. God made us for community with others. Having solid relationships are a result of God’s law. God’s law makes you surefooted.
God’s law makes you surefooted.
I’m working on my masters right now. Each class has projects that I need to complete. This past semester, I had three different projects I worked on throughout the term. As the end of the semester drew near and the projects were nearing completion, I spent time reviewing the instructions for each of them. With a fine tooth comb, I re-read them and made sure I had done the requirements for the project. I made sure I used the right font and formatting. Each project had a designated length, I met those requirements. I checked off each point to ensure I had done all the work required. By the time I turned in my finished assignments, I had peace because I knew I had done what my professors had asked me to do.
God is the same way. His word is the instruction manual for our lives. We get to know Jesus better as we read the words of His followers. We see clearly, Jesus is a master at relationships. No matter what the situation, Jesus had an answer. Often He quotes Old Testament scriptures when he’s dealing with an issue. Jesus loved the law. He fulfilled the law. He did not stumble. When we follow Him, we’ll have the same results. We’ll love the law more and more as we apply it to our relationships.
God’s laws are the formula for healthy relationships. When we apply them to our lives, our relationship with Him and others flourish. We’ll have peace in our lives, we won’t stumble.
Question of the Day:
How has God’s laws helped your relationships flourish?
Further Reading: 2 Samuel 18:1-19:10 NIV, John 20:1-31 NIV, Psalm 119:153-176 NIV, Proverbs 16:14-15 NIV
