Proverbs 28:9 ESV
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
I have been pondering this in terms of relationship. Without a relationship with God our Father, our prayers would not be heard. But within the relationship that God establishes with us, God has become our compassionate heavenly Father. We have become his beloved children.
As such, I have taken to considering how my relationship to my own son relates to my relationship with God. Perhaps I can glean from this a bit of wisdom.
My son will just turn five years old this August 23rd. I am completely confident that I have a much better grasp of what is right and wrong than my son does. What’s more I know better what is good for my son to eat, to drink, to do with his time, what he should and should not learn, how much sleep he needs and when he should go to bed. In fact, there is likely nothing in my sons life that he could manage better on his own than with my instruction. That is except maybe going to the bathroon. All things in my son’s life are made better by him heeding my instruction. He needs my instruction to properly mature and function in this world.
If he decided one day that daddy was full of it; if he somehow came to believe that he was better able to decide what is best for his own life; if he began to disobey all that I require of him; if he began to turn a deaf ear to my voice; if he made no effort what so ever to even make himself aware of my instructions for him; this would powerfully impact my relationship to him in the most adverse way possible.
Considering all this, let us imagine that he then comes to me with a petition. Let’s say that he desires a new bicycle. In this scenario my son has reduced my relationship to him to that of a cash machine. To him the word “Father” is another word for “ATM.” He does not demonstrate love or respect for me. The request for a bicycle is the same to me as spitting in my face. In requesting this bicycle my son communicates to me that he not only willfully will continue disregarding my instruction, but instead he will go and do what he feels is right for himself. Oh. By the way. He is asking me to support his rebellious behavior with my money.
My response to my son would be this. First you come back to submission to my authority. Then after you have demonstrated to me that you acknowledge that I know what is best for you, we can discuss the possibility of me providing you with a bicycle. Then if and when you get that bicycle, I will help you discern where, when, and for how long you should ride it. I love you son. I only want what is the very best for you.
God is our loving Father. He is even more capable of discerning what is best for you and me than I am for my five-year-old son. He loves you and me infinitely more than I love my son (WOW!). Let us reciprocate his love for us by submitting to his authority. We best express our love and gratitude to the Father by obeying his Word.
Joshua 22:5 ESV
Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Nehemiah 1:5 ESV
And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Psalm 119:88 NIV
In your unfailing love preserve my life,
that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.
Psalm 119:166-167 NIV
I wait for your salvation, Lord ,
and I follow your commands. I obey your statutes,
for I love them greatly.
Daniel 9:4 NIV
I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
John 14:15 NIV
“If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:23-24 NIV
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
John 15:10-11 NIV
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
1 John 5:3 NIV
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
A walk in the Word 