Thought for Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Deuteronomy 6: 4-7 

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 

⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get

I read this somewhere a few weeks ago,

"I sometimes think if someone appealed the Ten Commandments in some of our courts, they would rule Thou shalt not, unless you feel strongly to the contrary."

At this time in the world’s existence, so many people disregard the 10 Commandments, they seem to think they are exempt because they do not believe God exists. The books of the law are picked apart by people trying to tell us that God did not really mean what He said in these books and they are allowed to change the parts they don’t like

Newsflash! God never has and never will tell us lies, what He says He means, and He never says anything He does not mean. We live our lives by the power and grace of God, and it is only because of His great compassion that He does not just wipe out all life from the planet and start again, as He did in Noah’s day. If anyone thought about this at all it would not affect them, because they think God is a fairy tale and this would never happen.

How many ways will be enough to convince the unbelievers that God is truth, and He cannot be erased just because they do not like what He says. There will never be enough ways for someone who does want to know. A lot of these unbelievers will be lost if we do not step up and do our best to show that God is indeed real. Probably more ‘real’ than any of us. The Great Commission tells us plainly that we should be making more disciples for Jesus. But that is hard, ‘he doesn’t want to hear, or she does not want any of that ‘holy joe’ rubbish.’ I used to get that a lot in the complex. 

However, a few now hold back after meals to listen to a couple of us talk about my faith. They don’t take part at first then somebody will mention something I had said previously and gradually they get involved. At least some of them do, others may go away for a while or move further from our tables. They can be seen to be listening, albeit unwillingly but they are so obviously hungry for knowledge but not quite convinced yet.

The greatest problem there is that by the time they are convinced it may be too late. We know there is a time limit to God’s plan. Since the beginning of time everything has been moving to a timeline. When God says ‘time up’ that will be that.

 

Prayer

Gracious and merciful God, hear our prayer today as we ask for strength and words to speak the truth to those we know, who say they do not want to hear about Your precious Son. They say the do not believe in Him or You and they push us away. Help us to reach that place in them which urges them to turn a deaf ear to us any time we mention You, even slightly. We can do all things in Jesus, and we really need all the help You can give us. You know every heart and mind that You have created, help us to reach them. You do not want to lose anyone, neither do we, if we can help in any way we ask for the talents needed for the task. We pray also for Your mercy to reach all Christians who are suffering and dying for refusing to deny Jesus. We ask that we may have the same courage under the same circumstances. We ask these things in Jesus’ wonderful name, amen