Genesis 35; Psalm 15; Proverbs 3:21-26; Matthew 12:1-21

Jacob has a heart revival and leads his family to do the same: get rid of foreign gods, actively follow God, obey His commands. Jacob’s desire is to worship and remember the Lord who blessed him when he first ran from Esau. Jacob returns home to his earthly father Issac, but more importantly renews his relationship with his Heavenly Father.

When we abide with the Lord operating within the boundaries of His commands, there is peace. External circumstances still cause us trials but the righteous take the long view, an eternal perspective on life. Our confidence in the Lord remains. He can be trusted even when we don’t understand everything- especially when we can’t understand everything.

The godly seek discernment and sound judgement as they pilgrim through this world. Jesus is our best example of godly character. He exemplified what it means to be human and still remain in God’s will. He too interacted with all kinds of people- those who loved Him, those who only wanted what He could give them, those who hated Him, plotting to take His life. Jesus was bold in confronting hypocrites, compassionate toward the needy, forgiving to sinners.

God’s commands for us today follow this same principle- imitate Christ. We can’t live this way on our own. So how is this relevant or even possible? Micah 6:8 gives us a good framework to start with: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Through faith and the power of His Spirit we mirror our Savior, abiding in Christ.

Grace upon grace,

April