Watching Out For Us

Good morning my friends,

The LORD God was very specific about what was “clean” and “unclean”. When you look carefully at the items you are able to realize that he was protecting his people from spreading disease. Perhaps it was a time when they were unable to prepare the food in a proper manner, unlike today, so many of the animals mention were scavengers and would eat off of dead and diseased carcasses.

It is not unlike parents telling their young children not to touch things like knives and glass objects. They are preventing them from hurting themselves because they are too young to know how to avoid hurting themselves. Most of us now understand not to touch a hot burner on the stove but did we understand this as a child?

We still have a strict code of conduct that we are suppose to follow as believers. There are more reasons for this code then just the fact we need guidance in our living. Sexual promiscuity can bring with it many consequences. It can destroy families and the lives of young people. It can bring with it diseases, some of which can end in death. Murder is more than one person taking the life of another person. When a person takes a life something in him dies as well. It changes him and scars him for life. Unforgiveness is a disease in itself which eats away at the heart of the sweetest person, bringing the crippling disease of bitterness.

Much of our code of conduct has been given to us so that we can be “disease” free and lead a joyful and abundant life:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:5-17)

This keeps crippling disease from our heart and keeps us healthy and well. Our LORD God is still looking after us, wanting to keep us from getting “burned”. The beautiful thing is that he is also into restoring. If we do not follow his instructions and we become “damaged goods”, made ugly by a crippling disease, he is willing to heal us and restore us back to a creature of beauty. Many of us need restoration. Many of us need to take seriously again the LORD’s instructions. He knows better than we do.