Monday, January 21, 2019

The Key to All the Rest

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

Mark 12:28–30

Though locks have been around since ancient times, with examples being found in archaeological excavations in Nineveh, among other cities, the modern secure lock as we know it today got its start in the early 1800s. Disturbed by theft of naval property, the British announced a contest for someone to create a lock that would withstand the attempts of burglars to open it. Jeremiah Chubb presented his lock to the government in 1818, and after three months effort, a trained lock-picker could not open it. Chubb received a prize of £100 for his invention and went into business making locks and safes. Chubb’s lock could only be opened with the proper key.

The key to living as God commands is found in our love. If He is first in our hearts and minds, obedience to the rest of what He tells us to do will come easily. But if we love anything or anyone more than we love Him, the door to obedience will not be unlocked. Being a good Christian is not a matter of keeping a list of rules. Judas did such a good job looking good outwardly, even though he was a thief and a traitor inwardly, that the other disciples trusted him to keep the money for the whole group, not suspecting that he was stealing from them the whole time. Growing in our walk with God is a matter of the heart. If we do not love God above all, we are missing the master key.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Unless we love God as we should, we cannot expect to live as we should.

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O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. --Psalm 130:7 What is hope? What does it mean for your life right now? Hope is far more than positive thinking, wishful thinking or human optimism. The Bible describes our hope as a living hope, a hope to live by. The hope you and I have in Jesus Christ is the hope of heaven, but it is not just for the next life. It is hope for the NOW life. Biblical hope is a confidence based upon promises that are guaranteed by God. You and I can have hope right now:   That God answers prayer. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14).   For a new beginning. No matter how you and I fail in this life, there’s always hope for another chance. There is hope for your home, for your marriage, and for your life.   That God will turn your suffering into victory. No matter what the circumstance or situation, God has a plan for your benefit.   Over the fear of death. With Jesus Christ there is hope that we will never die. Hope is not flimsy or futile. Hope is strong. And hope can build strength and confidence in your life!                                                                                                                                                Biblical hope is a confidence based upon promises that are guaranteed by God.