dar334

I’m not certain my title is actually appropriate since this ponder isn’t about 2 Samuel 8, although in our study books for 2 Samuel 8 we are given what are called “For Further Study” topics located on the side of the pages. Mr. J is quite adamant that we complete these topics each week.  The one for this week includes 24 verses from the New Testament we are to look up and answer this question:  What more do these New Testament passages teach us about that everlasting kingdom? The very first one was Matthew 5:3 which reads “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Now you would think the answer would be relatively easy, the Kingdom of Heaven is for everyone who is poor and realizes their need for him. Right? Yes. But …… I pondered having heard at some point that the “poor” aren’t the ones who have no money, they are the ones that are spiritually poor. So, once again, I had to head the the study note section in my Bible. Although the thing in the note that stopped me short, had me want to reread it, then highlight it, and had nothing to do with the Kingdom, was this: …. heartfelt obedience is more important than legalistic observance.

Basically, it is my opinion that though each define basically the same thing, minding or obeying a rule or law, each one is completely different.

The other day on some Christian radio channel or some podcast or some thing I was listening to, I heard a story of a young girl who was out on a date with her boyfriend. They were attending a social function at the school with a group of other kids when someone reported a party going on at the home of a fellow student whose parents were not home and adult beverages were being served. The group of kids all decided to attend that party and as they were heading to the door, the young girl asked her boyfriend to take her home instead. Another girl there proceeded to verbally attack her by saying “What’s the matter? Are you afraid you’ll get in trouble with your daddy?” At this point the young girl replied “No. I’m afraid I’ll disappoint my daddy.”

In my opinion, had she not gone to the party because she might get is trouble would have been “legalistic observance”. But her not going to the party because she would disappoint her dad was “heartfelt obedience?” In either case she was not going to do something she shouldn’t have, but only one of the options came from the heart.

Still pondering,

-dar