Between the Garden and the Wilderness

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38   What is obedience? Obedience is defined as, “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.” It’s a decision that we make to respect God and those He has placed in charge of us, even when it isn’t easy. When we choose to be obedient, we are able to receive all of the promises that God has made to those who follow Him. What does this mean for me? The Bible gives us clear directions on how God wants us to behave. In the Old Testament, He gave Moses a list of Ten Commandments that He wanted the Israelites to follow. The rules came because His people, the Israelites, were not making the right choices on their own. He deeply loved the Israelites (in the same way that He loves us today), but they were making decisions that hurt both Him and each other. Teaching the Israelites to do what was right was a way ...

  Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ( Lamentations3: 22 -23 )     What is mercy? Mercy is defined as,   “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to  punish  or harm.” It’s when we make the decision not to hurt someone just because they hurt us. To be merciful does not mean that you’re admitting someone else is right. It’s simply deciding not to make the situation worse just because you can.   What does this mean for me? There’s a worldly expression that not taking revenge means you’re “being the bigger person,” but this is not what the Bible says. To be the bigger person means that you’re comparing your behavior to someone else’s. You’re saying, “They’re mean, but I’m not!” or “I’m better because I’m not rude.” Yet, the Bible says not to compare ourselves with others ( Galatians 6:4 ). It’s no...