Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. Galatians 3:21 (NIV).
Another way of saying this might be, “if sinning increases the grace God gives, then let’s sin more to get more grace.” Wrong. That both treat’s God like a function machine AND makes our behavior (and even God’s grace) into an idol, taking our focus off Him.
I’ve started driving for Lyft. We are trying to put aside some extra money for things we have going on this summer; more later. So, after my day work, I drive. One of the folks I drove was a woman who had just recently moved from Chicago with her two kids. She told me they “had to get out of there because it wasn’t a place to raise kids anymore.” Since coming to Dallas, however, she hasn’t found life any easier. She had a job but lost it, then she got evicted. When I picked them up, they were staying at an extended stay hotel paid for by the city. I drove them to a mobile phone store, where she needed to purchase extra minutes. When she got out of the car, I told her that I’d pray for her, and I have. Repeatedly. I told her that God was going to help her land on her feet, and that He would work things through her. She told me, “thanks, but this is so hard.” And she was on the verge of tears.
Oh Lord, why is this life so hard for some and not for others?
For all of us, if doing things, or following the rules, or adhering to the law could earn us eternal life, or even temporary peace, then we might be the most obedient people in the universe. But that’s not how things are. God’s law is perfect, holy, given to us not because He wants to hammer us but, instead, because He knows that sin will constantly tempt and trap us. Because of that, we need boundaries, white lines to help us drive between so that our path will lead to Him and not astray.
Our following the rules doesn’t make God bless us more. Moving from one place to another doesn’t do that either; neither do extra jobs, primary jobs, reading online news, or filling in all the right forms. Some people, sometimes through no fault of their own, live harder lives than others. Others seem to drive on Easy Street. Yet no matter which road we travel, it is God, not the system, who provides road, vehicle, opportunities, and all the blessings that come with simply being alive.
For further reading: Romans 7:12, Galatians 3:22
Merciful Lord, please bless the woman and her family, and lead them to a home, safety, and Your peace. If you’d like to know more about Practical Proverbials, please contact aspiringwriterdt@gmail.com for more information
Practical Proverbs 