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“"Because it is the Best Way to Live"”

Thoughts for Today:

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk wrote (Habakkuk 2:4): "See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness." The purpose of God, even in the Old Testament, was to find an "obedient faith" in His children. Not the legalistic type of rule keeping which was their interpretation of the Law.

For example, from the time my daughter Amanda was young, she has always been taught to look both ways before crossing the street. Why? For her own safety. However, until she became mature enough to be responsible on her own, any disobedience from this rule was met with punishment. As a young child, she learned to obey -- not just to keep from getting hit by a car -- but also to avoid the punishment. Now as a twelve year old, hopefully Amanda has now made this rule a part of her own reasoning.

In somewhat the same way, the Old Testament laws provided standards that were enforced with punishment. Many people incorrectly looked at those punishments as God's hatred of sin, rather than His love for His children. However, the reason the Lord required punishment was for the benefit of His people. Just like our rule with Amanda regarding looking both ways before crossing the street -- the purpose is to keep her safe. So now that Jesus has come, we may receive punishment as a consequence of our sin, but the Father is not punishing us for our sin. In other words, we should live righteously because it is the best way to live (we won't get hit by a car), not in the fear of punishment if we don't.

Questions to Ponder:

After the coming of Jesus, the Law had served its purpose. We now are able to relate to God based on the foundation of what Christ has done for us and our faith in Him. However, this does not mean that we will always do what is right. In which areas is the Lord speaking to you now? Does your behavior need correction?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.