"Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!" - Deuteronomy 5:29 God knows what we are made of. He knows our weakness and our propensity for failure. He knows that we will not be able to be consistent in our holy awe and fear of God, but will become distracted and follow Him imperfectly. The people of Israel, standing at the base of Mount Sinai as it trembled and the earth shook while God descended in fire on the top of the mountain to speak with them and they heard God give them the Ten Commandments, expressed their holy terror of the Living God. They asked Moses to serve as a go-between so that they wouldn’t hear the voice of God, because they thought they would surely die, consumed by His holy presence, if it continued. This was God’s reply.. he said, “They’re right! It would be too much for them. But oh, if only they had such a heart as this, that they would always fear Me, so that they would be faithful to obey My Word. Then I could really bless them! Then it would always go well for them, in every generation!” Knowing that we don’t have it in us to fear and love Him as we should, He knows that things won’t go as well for us as He would love to see, and it grieves His heart. But such is the Grace of God that He has provided forgiveness for us by becoming a man and dying on the cross to atone for our sin. “But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared,” another Psalm says. Our sin, our guilt, and all our shortcomings are washed away in the blood of Jesus so that we can "be His own, live under Him in His Kingdom and serve Him in everlasting innocence, righteousness and blessedness, here in this life now, and in heaven forever.” Thank You, God, my Father in Heaven, for loving me so much that You provided the way for me to live in Your presence in spite of my weakness. Keep me close to You, by Your grace, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles