Alright…already

“Alright, already…that is only the ONE HUNDRETH time you have told me!”

Let’s face it, as a child, some instructions our parents gave us either didn’t make sense or we never thought we would need those pearls of wisdom. My all time favorite was “make sure you have clean underwear on before you leave the house.” Now, I always had clean underwear on everyday and if this instruction was given me in case, God forbid, I should be in an accident or aliens from the mother ship kidnap me¬—it wouldn’t matter because I probably would soil my undies anyway!! And would those who found me look at my undies first and shake their heads in dismay because they couldn’t determine if I had started with “clean or soiled”?!?!?!
On a more serious note, I could always detect the importance of an instruction by the number of times my parents would say it. They loved me and wanted to ingrain the thought to make sure I would be safe.

This year, I’ve been reading through The Daily Bible in Chronological Order as my devotional and am currently in the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (ok, I can hear the yawning as you read this ). Since many of the laws are repeated throughout these books, for the daily reading they are combined in that particular days reading. As much as I love the Word, I must admit when I get to these passages, I usually skim over them. However, I have been reading each word and even though I may not completely understand all the details I have discovered this: God is extremely interested in even the most minuscule details of not only the Israelites life, but mine as well. Throughout His Word and particularly in Psalms 139, there is a clear reminder that there is no place we can go but that God knows us, searches us and sees us…from our physical location down to the very thoughts we have even before words are formed to express those thoughts. He was watching over us as we were being formed inside our mother’s womb—before Mom even knew we were there, God knew. He has a plan He crafted just for you and just for me (Jeremiahs 29:11), He knows what our today will hold for us as well as our tomorrow and He will be there to guide and encourage us all the way.

God may not be reminding us to put clean undies on today, but He does ask us for a clean heart…one that is tuned in to His heart and our ears tuned into His voice.
“See I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” (Deut 30:15-17)

May our response to God’s instruction be one of gratitude, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10) rather than annoyance, “Alright, already…that is only the ONE HUNDRETH time you have told me!”