Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…
Those simple lyrics contain some powerful theology. As we grow older the songs we sang in our youth appear childish. Yet so many of those kids songs teach us powerful biblical lessons we need throughout our lives. One song we should all take the advice of says, “0 be careful little feet where you g
In Acts chapter 3 we find Peter and John’s feet taking them to the Temple for their daily prayer. The two men didn’t set out to do something miraculous, they were just being obedient to God’s call for regular prayer. It was their obedience however, that was to put them in the exact place God needed them to bring about a miracle.
A lame beggar asked them for money. The disciples could have done what so many of us do and shrug him off. But they didn’t. They gave him what they had — the healing and delivering power of Jesus Christ. That miraculous healing led to an opportunity to proclaim the Holy Name of Jesus, not only in the Temple but also to the Jewish leaders.
Our obedience allows God to act.
One lesson gained from the Parable of the Talents in Luke 19:11-27 is the more faithful we are, the more God will do. Christ compels us to perform acts of kindness and love in His Name. When we heed the call of God to do His work, He will bring about results. The opposite is also true. When we fail to do what God asks of us, disaster can follow.
2 Samuel 11 tells one of the saddest stories in the Bible. It begins with a phrase that is often overlooked, “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war…”. King David should have been with the army. Instead he took a walk around his roof one night … ignoring another great stanza from a children’s song, “O be careful little eyes what you see.” He looked upon a woman bathing and, instead of averting his gaze, he allowed lust to build in his heart. That lust led to infidelity, treachery, murder and, ultimately, the death of a child. God in His great mercy did forgive David’s sin, but the guilt robbed the king of his moral authority. From that time on, David was unable to rule the kingdom properly or parent his children effectively.
Disobedience happens quickly and doesn’t require great effort. “O be careful little hands what you do.” That click of the computer mouse or press of the button on a hotel room TV remote takes only a fraction of a second; but can lead to a lifetime of struggle with pornography. “O be careful little tongue what you say.” Those flirty words with a coworker instead of your spouse, that juicy piece of gossip you can’t keep to yourself… Words can have a tragic impact on a marriage or someone’s reputation. Jesus warned us in Matthew 18:8-9 that it would be better to be blind or lame rather than be cast into Hell. Temporary pleasure can steal our eternal reward.
God is faithful to forgive our sin when we repent. While He removes our sin, He doesn’t always remove the consequences of that sin. As with David, it was the dealing with the results of his sin that robbed him of the fullness of all God’s promises.
Guilt is a powerful tool of the enemy and one of his all-time favorites. I see past guilt rob many people of their present victory. So, in all you see, say, hear and do, be obedient and O be careful….
Written by Dean Marini
