As always when I read
books by Elisabeth Elliot, I learn so much about what it means to be a
Christian and how to live like one. Currently, I'm reading her book, God's
Guidance: A Slow and Certain Light, published by Revel in 1997.
While writing about the
importance of obeying God, she summarizes how God's chosen people (the
Israelites) failed to trust Him and how they disobeyed Him time and time again.
Even so, "In countless ways he bore with them, corrected them, punished them,
goaded them, and brought them to the promised land. His love for them was
inexorable" (p.45).
Note: I had to look
up the pronunciation and definition of the word “inexorable,” whereupon I
discovered that in’ eks(uh)r(uh)b(uh)l is an adjective that means “impossible to stop or prevent.”
Synonyms are: relentless, unstoppable, inescapable, inevitable, unavoidable,
irrevocable, unalterable...
That brought tears to my eyes,
since I know His love for me (and for you, Dear Reader) is inexorable. As I
reflected on that mind-boggling truth, I recalled the passage of Scripture our
minister read and explained the Sunday morning many years ago when I
re-committed my life to Christ.
In that passage, the Apostle Paul
is praying that the Christians at Ephesus (and you and I) would know (experience;
be fully convinced of) the great love God through Christ has for us. In a
portion of that powerful prayer, we find these words: "may [you] have the
strength to comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19, ESV).
Believing
He loves us far more than we can imagine (or hope!) and responding gladly to
that love makes ALL the difference. Because He loves us completely and
constantly, we want to serve Him, to obey Him, to please Him...
That's a far cry from keeping His commandments because we have to!
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