Afew weeks after writing an Our Daily Bread article about
the importance of obeying the law, I set out on an 850-mile
trip—determined to stay within the posted speed limit. While driving out
of a small town in New Mexico, I became more occupied with unwrapping a
sandwich than with watching the road signs, and I got a speeding
ticket. My first lesson that day was that not paying attention costs the
same as deliberate disregard for the law. And I still had 700 miles to
go!
My second lesson was that our resolve will always be tested. I
thought of Moses’ words to God’s people as they prepared to enter the
Promised Land: “You shall remember that the Lord your God led you all
the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you,
to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments
or not” (Deut. 8:2).
Pastor and author Eugene Peterson called the process of following
Christ “a long obedience in the same direction.” Every resolution to
begin to obey must be followed by many decisions to continue.
God gave me a humbling reminder of how vital it is to keep my heart set on obeying Him—and to pay attention along the way.
Thou who hast freely given
Thine all in all for me,
Claim this life for Thine own to be used,
My Savior, every moment for Thee. —Christiansen
Thine all in all for me,
Claim this life for Thine own to be used,
My Savior, every moment for Thee. —Christiansen
To love God is to obey God.
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