Just a Thought: Staying safe in the arms of the Lord is as much our responsibility as it is His. The Lord promises us His love, protection and provisions providing we do our part. Don’t get me wrong. God loves all men unconditionally (Jn. 3:16 and Rom. 5:8) are proof positive of that truth. But His protection and provisions are not guarantees. These things are conditional. The Lord had promised Israel a land they would possess. However, keeping the land that flowed with milk and honey was very much dependent upon obeying the Lord. To disobey Him would mean losing His personal protection. He would not only not fight for them. But rebellion against the Lord could cause Him to fight against them. Disobedience to the Lord would put the people (individually and corporately) in danger of sickness, death or being carried off into captivity. All or any of these things could be the result of God’s divine judgment. This is why they were given this instruction by Moses. “…and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Duet 30:20) Moses identified three very important responsibilities they had and we have today in order to be assured of the blessings, protection and safety of the Lord. First, to love God. This is more than something we say, it is something we do. The Lord is far less interested in what we say. But He is very interested in what we do. Love is an action word. We must not just tell God we love Him. There must be clear evidence of it in our lives. Second, we must listen to His word. Again, this is something we do. We listen and show God we are listening by how we obey Him. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you’ll obey my commands.” So obedience to the word of God is proof we are listening to and that we love the Lord. And disobedience is proof of the opposite. Thirdly, hold fast to the Lord. How does one hold fast to the Lord? They don’t let anything else get between them. To hold on to the Lord is to let go of everything else. My faith and trust is in Him alone. My desire is for only Him. My will and agenda are His will and agenda. How do I know if I am holding fast to the Lord, loving Him only and listening to His voice? Simple. He is my life. Not because I say so. But because it is obvious to Him and others that it is so. I have heard people say, “You are so obsessed with…” or “Your life is consumed with…” Would those who know you best fill in those blanks with “the Lord”? Staying safe in the arms of the Lord is as much our responsibility as it is His. He gives us the assurances of His promises. We have to meet the conditions that allow Him to fulfill those promises to us. Dear Lord, I love You and thank You for Your word which gives me the promises of hope, peace and security in You. Your blessings are rich and Your mercy is new every day. I choose to make You my life. Live in me. Live through me. Let all who see and know me, see You in me. In Jesus name, amen.
