Experiencing God

Our sunday school class has been doing the bible study, Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby. I just wanted to share with you something I read this morning, with Jon and Kate's marriage in the spotlight and the constant attack on marriage I thought this excerpt was very encouraging.

Deuteronomy 6:20-25 "In the future, when your son asks you, 'What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?' tell him...'The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness' ".

God has given His commands so you can prosper and live life to its fullest measure. Let me give you an example. Suppose the Lord says, "Let me tell you where a beautiful, wonderful expression of love is, I will provide you with a spouse. Your relationship with this person will bring out the best in you. It will give you an opportunity to experience some of the deepest and most meaningful expressions of human love. That individual will release some wonderful things in you, affirm some things in you, and strengthen you when you lose heart. That person will love you, believe in you, and trust you. From that relationship I will give you children who will sit on your knee and say, 'Daddy, I love you.' "

But God also says, "Do not commit adultery" (Matt. 5:27). Is that command to limit or restrict you? No! It is to protect and free you to experience love at its human best. What happens if you break the command and commit adultery? The love relationship is ruptured between husband and wife. Trust is gone. Hurt sets in. Guilt and bitterness creep in. Even the children begin to respond differently. Scars severely limit the future dimensions of love you could have experienced together.
God's commands are designed to guide you to life's best. You will not obey Him, however, if you do not believe Him and trust Him. You will not believe Him if you do not love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him. But if you really come to know God as He reveals Himself to you , you will love Him. If you love Him, you believe and trust HIm. If you believe and trust Him, you will obey Him.
God is love. Because of His love, His will for you is always best. He is all knowing, so His directions are always right. He has given His commands so you can prosper and live life to its fullest measure. If you love Him, you will obey Him!