God’s Laws

The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. . . . They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.

Psalm 19:8, 10

Laws have changed over the years. Some laws from long ago don’t make much sense today. For instance, in Missouri it’s illegal to drive with an uncaged bear in your car. Does that make you wonder how many people were driving around with bears in their cars before that law was passed? If you like arcade games, you might want to know that in South Carolina it’s illegal to play pinball unless you’re 18 years old. And if you live in Salem, West Virginia, you’d better control your sweet tooth on Sundays. It’s illegal there to eat candy less than 1½ hours before church. And don’t get out your marbles, dominoes, and yo-yos on Sunday. In several states, those are illegal on the Lord’s Day.

Chances are most people have forgotten that these laws exist, much less follow them. But God’s laws are a different matter. No, you don’t have to follow all the laws given to the Israelites in the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Many of those were written for that time period and would be very difficult to follow today. The laws about sacrifices for sin ended when Jesus gave himself as the final sacrifice for our salvation. But there are still things God wants you to do. Some of them are obeying your parents, loving those who aren’t easy to love, giving part of your money in the offering, and telling the truth.

Even though Christians today aren’t under Old Testament law, they should obey the Word of God. Doing what God wants shouldn’t be difficult. When you love God, you want to do what he asks. God’s princesses should desire to follow God’s ways. The psalmist David said that God’s commands bring joy to the heart and insight for living. Who doesn’t want those?

Look up Psalm 19 in your own Bible. Read the whole psalm, and jot down what it says about God’s Word, laws, or commands. How does it apply to you today?