If there is one thing Keith taught our sons, it is how to work.  Living on five acres with a huge garden, several animals, and a wood-burning stove for heat, but only rakes, shovels, hoes, a wheelbarrow, and a push mower to work with—no, it was not self-propelled, and we had no tractors or other power equipment—meant they had chores that had to be done or the family suffered.  They certainly did not appreciate the lesson then, but they have thanked him several times since they left home and entered the work force.  More than once their bosses have told me, “I wish I had a store full of your boys.”
            Lucas, my older son, spent some time in management with a large grocery chain.  He often laments the workers he has to deal with, who have no sense of responsibility, showing up late or not at all, who never anticipate needs, never see what needs doing on their own, or who simply lollygag around with no sense of urgency or efficiency.  The saddest ones, he says, are the young ones who really want to do a good job, but whose parents have never taught them how, either by assigning chores, or actually expecting them to be done well and on time.  The ones who irritate him the most are the ones who think showing up and clocking in means they are working, even if all they do is stand in the halls and talk.
            God has called us to work in his vineyard.  I am sure he is patient with those who need to learn how to work.  But some treat their job in the vineyard as an entitlement that precludes any notion of actual labor.  As long as they clock in (submit in baptism, show up on Sunday morning—choose your application), they are “earning” their paycheck.  We have forgotten that the only “wages” we can earn is death.  Eternal life is a precious gift, and how we work in the vineyard is directly proportionate to our gratitude for it.  Am I standing in the halls talking, or am I wearing myself out laboring for the Lord?
 
Let us therefore labor to enter in that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.  Heb 4:11
 
Dene Ward

Perhaps you remember Newton’s second law of motion from high school physics (or is it the third?  Hey!  At least I can remember the law):  for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
            Sometimes we live our lives by this law as well.  We constantly react to what others do, and excuse it because of what the other person did first.  Christianity is a life of action not reaction.  My actions should not depend upon what other people do, but upon what is right and what is wrong.  Any time I let someone else’s behavior “cause” me to do something; I am actually letting that person control me.  How often have I said, “He made me so mad?”  No, he didn’t. I let myself get angry.  When I stand before the throne of God, I will not be judged on other people’s deeds but upon mine, no matter what the other guy did first. 
            Most of us know this, and readily spout the appropriate answers when called upon in Sunday morning Bible study, but when we get out in the world things are always “different.”  No, they are not.  These things apply to my relationship with my next door neighbor, my co-workers, my family, yes, even to that driver up in front of me!  Then there is the matter of poor service in a restaurant, or a delay in the doctor’s office, or a faulty product that needs returning.  All of these offer me a chance to act as a Christian, not react as an unbeliever who has no self-control.  Yes, in our society we are allowed to voice our concerns over shoddy service and merchandise, but Christians never have the right to make a scene or be verbally abusive.  By letting others control me, I am showing how weak I truly am, not how strong.
            Christians control themselves—they do not let others do it.  Is this easy?  Not with Satan constantly whispering in my ear, “He had it coming.”  Like Eve, I often listen to him.  But this is how important ignoring that whisper is:  I must constantly ask myself why I have acted as I have.  If the answer starts, “Because he/she/they…” I am condemned already.
 
Jesus’ Laws of Motion:         
For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endures griefs, suffering wrongfully.  For what glory is it if, when you sin and are buffeted for it, you shall take it patiently?  But if, when you do well and suffer for it you shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  For hereunto were you called:  because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously.   1 Pet 2:19-23
 
And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise. And if you love those who love you, what thank have you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to them that do good to you, what thank have you?  For even sinners do the sane.  And if you lend to those of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.  But love your enemies and do them good, and lend, never despairing, and your reward shall be great, and you shall be sons of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.  Luke 6:31-35
 
Dene Ward

I have discovered a new body part.  It is called the “forgetter.”  A few weekends ago, it ran in overdrive.  On Saturday morning I melted the butter, then forgot to put it in the pecan waffle batter.  I preheated the waffle iron on high, then forgot to turn it down to medium.  Tough black waffles were not what I planned for breakfast.
            On Sunday morning I seasoned the roast with salt, pepper, fresh thyme and marjoram, browned it in olive oil, chopped some onions, garlic, and celery and sautéed them in the drippings, deglazed the pan, then put everything back in with potatoes and carrots. Sounds like a great cooking show, right?  I set the temperature on the oven, set the timer to start while we were gone, and walked out of the house without turning it on!  I knew we were in trouble when I walked in and sniffed and that aroma that instantly makes your stomach stand up and beg was missing.
            I always used to think the passage in James about the man who looks into the mirror and then walks away forgetting what he saw, was a little farfetched.  But now I regularly look at myself in the mirror every morning, walk away and get sidetracked making a bed or sorting laundry, taking a phone call or paying a bill, and forget to comb my hair until I look again a couple of hours later.  Lucky for me I have a head full of curls and the style these days is to look like your hair has not seen a comb for three weeks.  Celebrities pay big bucks for such a look.  So I can get by, right?  Everyone will think I just have the same hairstyle as some glamorous movie star.  When I looked out and said good morning to the meter reader the other day, the look he gave me said he was not fooled a bit.
            So it is not as difficult now to realize that people can look at the mirror of God’s word and walk away, forgetting to change themselves.  They are as easily distracted by the “cares and riches and pleasures of this life,” as I am by assorted housekeeping duties, and the Word is choked out of them, Luke 8:14.   But change is the essence of repentance; it is the point where self is pushed aside, and obedience and service to the Lord becomes my reason for living.  If I can see in God’s word what I need to be and do, and then walk away without doing it, I have not turned my life over to Him—I have not been converted, or else I have turned my back on that commitment like an unfaithful spouse.  That is why the Old Testament prophets call it spiritual adultery. 
            Sometimes I forget because I want to forget.  In a culture where self-control is a scarce commodity, it’s easier to say, “That’s just the way I am.”  It’s even easier to never look in the mirror in the first place because I do not want to see anything wrong with myself.  But God won’t be fooled any more easily than my meter reader was.
            Remember to look in the mirror this morning, and don’t forget what you see.
 
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself and goes away, immediately forgetting what kind of man he saw.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and so continues, being not a hearer that forgets, but a doer who works, this man shall be blessed in his doing.  James 1:22-25.
 
Dene Ward

I am sure that you have done it too, at least once in all these years, on a day when things were not going well and your heart was aching and your mind was in a whirl, you have said to yourself, "What was I thinking?"  About what, you ask?  About why you married that particular person.
            Some folks might say, "You weren't," thinking, that is.  But the truth is that you were.  You were thinking about how wonderful he was and all the sweet things he said and did when he was courting you.  That's all you were thinking about—the good, the overwhelming good, that wins someone's heart.
            And today, when you asked yourself that other question?  Well, today you were thinking about the bad, the frustrating, irritating, aggravating, thoughtless things he does, and you were dwelling on them over and over and over.
            No, it is not always that simple, but in many cases, when I see a woman crying because of a man, or a man stewing because of a woman, it is exactly that simple.  So today's short but simple lesson is this:  stop focusing on the bad, the things you don't like about him or her.  Start remembering the good things he does for you, the sweet remembrances, the kind gestures, the handpicked wildflowers and the cup of coffee before you get out of bed.  And remember, he sometimes asks himself that question too, so give him some good things to think about today.  I bet you both will feel better tonight.
 
​Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death; ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol. Love’s flames are fiery flames — the fiercest of all. ​Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned (Song 8:6-7).
 
Dene Ward
 

I am sure you have heard this prayer in Bible classes:  "Help us to apply these things to our daily lives."  As we saw yesterday, that's a whole lot easier said than done.
            The man who amens a lesson on longsuffering, bearing with one another, kindness and returning good for evil, will forget it as soon as he gets behind the wheel.
            The woman who compliments a sermon on modesty will head to the beach with 90% of her body showing.
            One thing I have learned in fifty years of teaching is that "applying these things" needs a little help along the way.  Making a few specific applications from real life situations can get people thinking about their own circumstances much more quickly.
            Let me say this about that:  making a few specific examples is NOT the same thing as making a checklist.  "Teach people to have a good heart and the rest will follow," is a wonderful ideal, but naïve and unworkable.  It almost always comes from the mouth of someone under forty, or who is simply brand new at teaching.  Plenty of good-hearted people experience a complete disconnect when it comes to realizing that certain principles apply to the very things they are doing.  "But I'm a good person," they think, "so what I am doing can't be what he is talking about."  And so those vaguely expressed ideals float around above their heads, never touching the ground they actually walk on.
            Teachers, you must learn to give some concrete, real-to-life examples if you really want to help people.  Be aware that it will get you into trouble occasionally because without meaning to, you will hit a nail squarely on the head.  But that's your job—helping people change, grow, and become better servants of God.  If that never happens, something is wrong.  And if they decide to get mad and leave, it's the plainly spoken Word of God that caused it, not you.
 
And now, Lord…grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.  And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:29,31).
 
Dene Ward

About twenty years ago while on a camping trip in the mountains, we had to make a run to the local Wal-Mart for a few necessities.  Maybe it was a couple more of those squat green metal propane canisters for our Coleman camp stove, or maybe it was the year we woke up flat on the ground because our air mattress had split in a way that was impossible to mend.  While we were wandering through Sporting Goods, we spied a folding metal grill, basically a metal rack designed to splay its legs open over a campfire.
            For years we had been using an ancient wire refrigerator shelf we had found in some trash pile somewhere and cleaned up.  We had to prop it up on logs or rocks, the latter of which were better because they didn't catch fire and burn up.  When we saw the folding grill, we looked at one another and cried, "Genius!" and picked it up.  That flimsy little thing gave us twenty years or so of solid service.  It was probably the best $15 we ever spent.
            Last year we decided it was time to look for a new one.  We found one online easily, a heavy duty metal frame with a thick mesh surface and an even larger cooking area than the old one for about the same price.  We used it three or four times, then brought it home, slipped it back into its box, and packed it away with the other camping gear.
            A month ago we began pulling things out for our trip this year.  I wondered aloud why Keith had not gotten out the folding grill.
            "I did," he said.  "It's on the porch."
            "I didn't see it."  I had been looking for the big piece of cardboard we always wrapped around the old one and tied with a piece of twine.
            He must have realized my problem.  "We got a new one, remember?"
            "We did?"  And then he took me outside and showed me the box which sported a drawing of our nice new grill--which we had used the year before!  The problem was it was brand new, we used it three or four days, then put it away for 365+, never even talking about it again.  No wonder I forgot about it.
            That's one of the reasons we have such a hard time applying Bible principles we learn to our lives in the week.  We learn them in a special building on Sunday morning and promptly forget them when we get into our cars and drive home. Bright and early Monday morning they have completely slipped from our minds and nothing changes, not our words, not our thoughts, and certainly not our behavior.  We listened to a sermon, then put it up on a "shelf" or out in a "shed," and never thought about it again.
            Much of this is simple forgetfulness.  Quick!  What was the sermon about last Sunday morning?  See what I mean?  Perhaps, if we are truly serious about growing and becoming better disciples of the Lord, we can come up with some simple family activities to help us with this.  Just discussing the sermon on the way home or around the dinner table—even at a restaurant where a waiter might overhear—might do the trick.  Why not try it, or something similar, this week?
            There is yet another reason this happens and we will talk about that one tomorrow.
 
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (Jas 1:25).
 
Dene Ward
 

It’s fun watching them gradually realize that Grandma is Daddy’s Mom and that Gran-gran is Daddy’s Grandma, that Uncle is Daddy’s big brother and Grandma is Gran-gran’s little girl.  Silas is beginning to figure it out, but Judah still gets a funny look on his face when you try to explain it.  He raises those little eyebrows, cuts his eyes around and purses those lips—“And what have you been drinking?” he seems to think—except he wouldn’t understand that either.

We want them to know who family is because family matters.  We want them to understand that Silas’s middle name may be the name of an apostle, but it is also the name of one of his great-great-grandfathers; that Judah’s middle name may be the name of a great prophet, priest, and judge but it is the name of another great-great-grandfather as well.  Even if they never knew those men, there is a connection.

Just look at the book of Obadiah.  By the time it was written, few, if any, of the Edomites knew the Jews personally, but it still mattered to God that a long time before that Jacob and Esau had been brothers.  He expected those two nations to treat each other like brothers.

Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. ​On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. ​Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. ​Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. Obadiah 1:10-14.

Because they did not help, because they “gloated” over their brothers’ misfortune, because they actively stood in the way to prevent escape, God judged the Edomites and destroyed them.  Their relationship with Israel was many generations removed, their people’s knowledge of one another socially was small if at all, yet they were still expected to act like brothers.

So what does God think about siblings who argue over estates?  About grudges that are held for decades?  About bad feelings that are passed down to the next generation instead of being hid out of shame that such a thing exists in their hearts?  God expects better of families, and why?  Because that is the model for His people, the church.

The church is often described as “the household (family) of God,” and that makes us brothers and sisters.  God expects us to act like flesh and blood brothers and sisters.  He expects us to love one another, not because we know one another, but because we are spiritually related—family.  He expects us to forgive, to forbear, to help, to encourage and yes, even to admonish just as an older brother or sister would a younger one.  It does not matter whether we “know” one another or not.

Let’s add this quickly because someone is thinking it—yes, God even expects us to put His spiritual family ahead of our physical families; but assuming that is not an issue, my family life, even with the most distant of relatives, had better be a good one.  How else will I know how to treat my brothers and sisters in Christ?
 
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 1Tim 5:1-2
 
Dene Ward
 

I had finished my shopping in the small town grocery store and approached the check-out line with my wobbly shopping cart—somehow I had managed yet again to get the one with the wheel that won’t turn. 
The lady in front of me was much older than I, probably in her mid-sixties, wearing pink pancake makeup that showed a definite line along her jaw, and sporting a headful of gray curls.  She had on a blue flower-print house dress with a white Peter Pan collar and a hand-knitted cardigan a shade darker than the dress.  Her stockings sagged just a bit above her black shoes, the narrow black laces looped through a three-pair eyelet across the tongue.  She must have noticed me out of the corner of her eye when I pushed my cart into line behind her, because she suddenly stood straight up and looked around. 
            Her gasp was audible from several feet away and a dozen people looked at me as she asked, “What are YOU doing here?” 
            She was a member of the church we had moved to work with just a couple of weeks before.  Lucky for me I recognized her and could actually say her name when I greeted her.  Before I could add anything about needing a few groceries she must have realized how she had sounded and, trying to undo any harm said, “Well, I guess you DO have to eat like the rest of us.”
            I thought of that incident when I saw a commercial the other day which stated at the bottom, “Real people, not actors.”
            Ah!  So actors are not real people.  Yes, I imagine they too have been accosted in grocery stores the same way I was.  What are you doing here?  You don’t need to eat—you aren’t a real person.  Evidently, neither are preachers and their families.
            But don’t we do that to so many others too?  How about the waitress at your favorite café?  Do you even talk to her or do you treat her like furniture?  How about the cashier at the grocery store?  The bagboy?  The deli guy who slices your meat?  Have you ever thought to ask them how they are?  What would you do if you saw your doctor or your child’s teacher at a restaurant?  Would it be the same reaction I got so many years ago?
            Do you know the problem with this sort of behavior?  If they aren’t “real people,” then I don’t have to treat them like people.  Do you know why road rage occurs?  Because it isn’t a real person you are angry with, it’s a car. 
            When Desert Storm began and the news shows showed the airstrikes and dogfights on television, I was appalled.  One night at a church gathering, I came upon two of our teenagers watching two fighter planes on the host’s television.  When the enemy plane exploded, they cheered just like they would have for a touchdown.  I looked at them and said, “You do realize you just saw someone die, don’t you?”  They calmed right down and looked ashamed.  I hope it was real shame.
            As long as we view anyone as something other than a “person,” it becomes much easier to treat them badly.  I did some research and found that every time Jesus tells us how to behave toward our enemies he uses the pronouns “he” or “those.”  Never does he call them anything dehumanizing—like jerk, scum of the earth, dirtbag, or (insert your own personal favorite).  And when we resort to that name-calling we will never be able to treat our enemy—or just our inconsiderate neighbor—the way Jesus tells us to.  And how does he tells us to treat him?  Love him, pray for him, do good to him, bless him, lend to him, feed him, forgive him, give him whatever he asks for—your time, your place in line, your pew, even your driving lane.
            You can only do those things for Real People.
 
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:16-21
 
Dene Ward
 

Today's post picks up a series begun earlier by our guest writer, Lucas Ward.

We've been learning about God based on His names and self-descriptions.  From a cursory look at His Name ( I AM -- YHWH or Jehovah, take your pick) and titles (God Most High, God Almighty, Everlasting God, etc.) one can quickly learn that He is a God who is a person, rather than an amorphous force, and He is present and active in our lives.  In fact, His name is used whenever He wants to emphasize His covenantal relationship with His people. It is His signatory promise to be there for His people.
            God also gives several self-descriptions which reveal quite a bit about Him.  The God who has dealt wondrously for His people.  And now, the God who fights for us.

Deut. 1:30  "Jehovah your God who goeth before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes" 
           
             We are never told that the Christian life is going to be easy.  Yes, Jesus says His yoke is easy and burden light (Matt. 11:30), but that is only in comparison to the Old Law.  Jesus also says that we are blessed when we are persecuted for Him (Matt. 5:10-12, and that His disciples will be treated at least as badly as He was (John 15:20).  Paul reiterates that in 2 Tim. 3:12 "Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  Not only do we face persecution but we are told that Satan is prowling the earth like a lion stalking us and that we must stand up against him.  (1 Pet. 5:8-9, James 4:7).  It can all be a bit much, a bit too scary.  It might make us wonder . . .

Deut. 3:22  "Ye shall not fear them; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you."

            That lion stalking us is Satan, the tempter (1 Thess. 3:5) who seeks to lead us into sin that he may accuse us before God (Rev. 12:10).  And, boy howdy, does he provide plenty of opportunities to fall from grace.  Whatever your predilection might be, Satan has something available:  drunkenness/alcoholism, sexual sin, losing one's temper, thievery, and pride all of which will keep you from the kingdom of Heaven (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Matt. 5:22).  The temptations might not be as blatant as a loose woman plopping down in your lap; they can be as subtle as a difficult spouse who causes you to look outside the marriage or rambunctious kids who try your patience.  Or mean bosses, difficult brethren, dismaying political news . . . sometimes it is just all too much!  How are we supposed to fight all of this?

Deut. 20:4  "for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."

            Paul tells Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12) but often that fight isn't against the evil forces of persecution or temptation.  Sometimes life is just hard.  The Hebrew writer refers to a "conflict of sufferings" (10:32) which describes Christian life well.  I'm reminded of the character Gil on The Simpsons.  This poor sap could never win no matter how hard he tried:  he'd get a new job only to have the plant closed, he'd raise a successful crop as a farmer only to have a horde of Homers destroy the crop, etc.  Nothing ever worked out for him.  Life can feel that way sometimes:  loved ones become sick, you become sick yourself, jobs are lost, housing is taken away, you miss promotions and lose friends for being a Christian.  It is just too much.  I can't keep going.

Joshua 23:10  "One man of you shall chase a thousand; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he spake unto you." 

            Sometimes it is our own relative wealth in this world that is the obstacle.  Earthly possessions and good times in this world can blind us to the needs for a better world, which is why Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:25)  But who wants to deny themselves all this innocent fun?  I'm supposed to set service to God and work for the brethren ahead of keeping up with all my favorite shows on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime?  I should avoid going to Prom and certain other parties my worldly friends are having as part of being a Christian?  I should focus my extra income on charitable endeavors rather than buying more toys for myself?  But I NEED that new Jet Ski, my old one isn't as cool as this model!  Even though my iPhone 10 is only 4 months old I NEED that new iPhone 11 to be able to keep up!  How can you ask me to give up my toys?

2 Chron. 32:7-8 ". . . for there is a greater with us than with him:  with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jehovah our God to help us, and to fight our battles."
 
We can overcome temptation. (Rom. 12:21)
We can stand against the trials of the world.
We can resist the attractiveness of this world. (1 John 2:15)
 
Nehemiah 4:20 " . . our God will fight for us."
 
God fights for us.  With Him we cannot lose.  We just have to maintain faith.
 
1 John 5:4  "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."
 
Lucas Ward

A few years ago when Judah was about 2, we went down for a visit.  He had only become comfortable with me and Granddad the visit before and I did not know how much he would remember, whether it would take a "warm-up" period or not before that comfort would return.  Silas, who was 5, was occupied with his uncle and Mario Kart, and scarcely noticed when we walked in, but Judah came right up to me, grabbed my hand and said, "C'mon Grandma.  Let's go play."  My heart swelled so that it's a wonder it didn't pop right out of my chest.  We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with his toy cars and Granddad had to empty the car by himself.
            Let me ask you, if your toddler grandchild came up to you and grabbed your hand, asking you to come play with him, would you have done otherwise?  Especially since we were not sure how much he would remember us—we live over 2 hours away and only see them every 3 or 4 months—how in the world would I ever turn away from something that caused me such great joy?
            God felt that way about His children.  Notice these verses this morning:
            …Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son (Exod 4:22).
           …You have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son… (Deut 1:31).
           He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. ​Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, ​the LORD alone guided him…(Deut 32:10-12).
            When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. ​The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. ​I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them (Hos 11:1-4).
            In that last passage we see just how much God loved His people.  Even when they had scorned him, disobeyed him, betrayed him, and forsaken him for idols, it hurt him to do what he had to do to punish them.  But punish them he did.
            We call God our Father today, and he loves us every bit as much as he loved them.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:14-15).
            But just as those people had to show their love by their obedience, so do we.  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, ​and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2Cor 6:16-18).
            Did you notice the condition in that promise?  Just as this Grandma was thrilled to have that tiny hand in hers, to have that little child want to be with her, God wants that from us too.  But we must understand the conditions a whole lot better than those faithless children of old did.  As long as things went well, they had no place in their lives for him.  What kind of place does he have in ours? 
            God walks in the door every day of our lives.  How will we greet him?  Or do we even care if he came?
 
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot (1Pet 1:14-19).
 
Dene Ward