The Lord’s People – 3

. By faith we become children of God

Galatians 3:26

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God  through faith,

By obedience  we are God’s children

1 Peter 1:14

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
By living we show we are God’s children

Philippians 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.  And the God of peace  will be with you.

Results of taking the easier ways 

Therefore, strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed. (Hebrews 12:12-13)

This is God’s word of encouragement to us to lift up the hands of faith, and confirm the knees of prayer. Often our faith grows tired, languid, and relaxed, and our prayers lose their force and effectiveness.

The figure used here is a very striking one. The idea seems to be that we become discouraged and so timid that a little obstacle depresses and frightens us, and we are tempted to walk around it, and not face it: to take the easier way.

Perhaps it is some physical trouble that God is ready to heal, but the exertion is hard, or it is easier to secure some human help, or walk around in some other way.

There are many ways of walking around emergencies instead of going straight through them. How often we come up against something that appalls us, and we want to evade the issue with the excuse:

Two commands: two reasons

Proverbs 22:22-23

Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case  and will exact life for life.

{Message No: 6373}