October
31, 2003
HIS
WORD HIDDEN IN MY HEART
"Your
word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against
You"
(Psalm 119:11, NKJV).
Sin has
been defined as "To him who knows to do good and does
not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). According
to the dictionary, sin is to commit any offense, misdemeanor,
or fault, do wrong, to break a religious law or a moral principle,
especially through a willful act. When we knowingly and willfully
do something that is harmful to ourselves, or to someone else,
that is sin.
God Himself
has defined what is harmful to us and others. We are not to
murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or lie
to anyone, and not covet anything that belongs to someone
else. He has also defined what is good and what should be
honored and respected. That includes respecting Him as the
Creator of "the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all
that is in them". We are to respect no other "gods"
before Him, to not make or serve any "carved image"
of any likeness in the heaven above, or in the earth beneath,
to not take His name in vain, to remember His Sabbath day,
to keep it holy in honor of His creation, and to respect and
honor our human parents (see Exodus 20:1-17).
Worship
is reserved only for the One who created all things. People,
images and things are not to be worshiped. To know God is
to love and respect Him for His wise ways. Getting to truly
know Him will extend our existence to the life that is beyond
this temporal existence of 3, 4 or 5 score years, according
to John 17:3. Getting to know Him we see the superiority of
His ways.
David
said it beautifully, "God be merciful to us and bless
us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah, that Your
way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise
You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You
shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations
on earth. Selah.
When
we live according to God's ways and wisdom, there will only
be blessings and no one will ever be harmed.
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