Hebrews 2: 1
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
What is the reason? Because Jesus is so much higher than Angels (yesterday's blog entry, Hebrews chapter 1).
I've never counted the times I've seen in Scripture to "pay attention" to what was written, but I seem to come across it in every other chapter, if not more frequently. All through the whole Bible we are advised and warned to take seriously what God is saying. No matter where I am reading in this Book, I keep being reminded to "take heed" of what God is telling me.
God is not making suggestions, He's giving us the Laws that He has established as the Lawgiver to govern and give order to the Universe, including this World we have built on His Earth.
We like to separate the Natural Law from the Moral Law, but they are still both Law. We cannot "break" any of God's Laws He gave us, whether they be Natural or Moral; we only break ourselves on them when we transgress.
For instance, if we try to break the Law of Gravity, we will experience the immediate consequence of a nasty fall. So we tend to take those Laws more seriously.
Airplanes do not "break" the Law of Gravity, they are following a higher Law, of Aerodynamics.
When Jesus "broke" the Pharisees' law concerning the Sabbath, He was obeying a higher Law, too: the Law of Love.
People have always thought they did not need to pay attention to God's Moral Law, being deceived into thinking that "freedom" was license to disobey without consequences. But the consequences can't be denied: Rome rotted out from within, and America has been going that same route. Just because the consequences are not immediate, they are no less real.
O my Father, please impress upon us the importance of knowing and obeying Your Laws, the rules by which You govern, in order to have order instead of chaos. Please show Your children how to demonstrate to the World the benefits of following Your ways, in bringing peace in the midst of turmoil, and confidence in the face of trials.
Help each of us to show our little worlds how good You are by Loving one another as You have Loved us. Help us to be courteous in response to rudeness, gentleness in the presence of harshness, and compassion in the face of bondage to sin.
Teach us how to see others as You see them, Father: even when what they are doing makes You "sick to your stomach," You still draw them into relationship with You when Your children show them Your Love.
Protect those who are going into battle at the very gates of Hell, in prisons and in hospitals and in political areas that are opposed to You.
And, Father, even when our own neighbors and family members are hurting so much that they lash out at us, please protect us from reacting; slow us down to consider why they're doing what they're doing. Then respond in Love.
We cannot do that in our flesh, so You have given us Your Spirit to strengthen us. O Father, help us to pay attention to all the nuances of the rules that are laid out in Your Law, so that we will be able to apply them to our thinking processes and our daily interactions with those in our lives and neighborhoods in a continuous and ongoing way, as our lifestyle.
Let the sweet fragrance of Christ emanate from our lives to others, to draw them to Yourself, Father; and give us Your words to speak Your Truth to them in Love, in the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Send out Your workers, Father--send even me! Let me go into Your fields, white for harvest, and help You in Your work of redeeming precious people out of the slave-market of sin. Let all Your little lost lambs be found, and carried into the safety of Your fold, so that there will be One Fold with One Shepherd.
And may Your House be full, and every place at Your Banquet Table be taken.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
