THE JEWS COULDN'T DO IT AND NEITHER CAN WE

          While I was praying this morning for God to draw my nephew to him and to his Word, I thought to myself that my nephew wasn't brought up with God and church, so how is God going to get his attention or draw him to the Bible when there's no frame of reference for this young man.  And as I was thinking this, God reminded me of the few years he lived with his grandparents while he was about 14 years old, and they took him to church and even put him into a Christian school.  After God reminded me of this, I asked God, "Then why didn't it work for him?  What happened?  Why has he rejected it all?"  And God told me that it didn't work for my nephew, because there were too many do's and too many don'ts.  And that's when the thought came to me:  THE JEWS COULDN'T DO IT (OBEY ALL OF GOD'S LAWS - THINK THE TEN COMMANDMENTS), AND NEITHER CAN WE. 

          I think too often religion puts so many do's and don'ts on us that we get worn out from trying to do all the do's and tired of failing to not do all the don'ts.  God knows that we are not able to do all he commands us to do in his Word.  Oh, we are able to obey some, but the Bible says if we break one law, we have broken them all.  You see, we don't stand a chance and God wanted us to see that.  He wants all of us to get to that point where we realize we need him, not only for salvation, but for everything.

          Jesus came to this earth, not only to save us from our sins, but also to leave us the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit, who will live his life through us and who will obey all of God's commandments through us.  The Bible says Jesus didn't come to destory the law, but to fulfil it.  Jesus wants to live his life through us.  We don't have to do a thing except spend time with God every day and renew our minds with his Word, and the Holy Spirit will take over from there.  Oh, it may look like we are changing or doing what God's tells us to do, but actually we know in our hearts that we haven't changed a thing.  We know in our hearts that all we have done is seek God and his Kingdom every day, and God added all these things unto us.

          Instead of giving people many to do's and to don'ts, we need to tell them that God loves them.  God loves them with all of his heart, soul, and mind.  Just look at the cross.  Greater love has no man than the one that lays down his life for you.  The Bible is a love story for us.  God is merciful and kind to us.  He is gentle in dealing with us.  He will meet us anywhere, even in the pig pen, to pick us up and lead us down the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  He has great plans for us.  He has only good planned for us.  Everything he allows into our lives has a purpose.  That's what we need to tell people.