1 Kings 9:4-5
“As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
When I was in high school, I truly enjoyed math… probably in large part because of my teacher, Mrs. Marilyn Berry. She really cared about her students – inside and outside of the classroom- and I loved her dearly. Now don’t get me wrong… on plenty of days, Mrs. Berry frustrated my classmates and me by giving us tests that didn’t seem to fit what we had just studied – especially in geometry. I loved geometry… there was a “method” to it. Geometry was not so much about finding the right answer as showing how we arrived at it… our “proof.” And as Mrs. Berry would review where we went wrong on the tests and point out the flaws in our “proofs,” the right path would reveal itself.
The heart of geometry lies in hypothesis and conclusion – or proof. According to information at http://hstutorials.net, the geometry definition of hypothesis is explained this way… “A conjecture is something believed to be true, but not yet proved true. We usually state these as if...then statements. The "if" part is the hypothesis...the "then" part is the conclusion.” For us as Christians, life is a lot like geometry. We have been promised eternal life in Jesus Christ. If we have truly committed our hearts to Him (which is the hypothesis)… our place in heaven is secured (which would be the conclusion). But the proof of our devotion and commitment lies in how we get there – which path we take.
God has made great promises over our lives and the lives of our descendants. He has shown us the right path to choose. He has offered us things we could never earn, much less deserve. If we truly want to prove that we appreciate His generosity, we have to operate in obedience, humility, faithfulness… and with integrity. Our word and actions have to be our bond.
People have to know that when we say we will show up… we will show up. When we tell someone we will keep their secret… we must keep it and not go blabbing to everyone we know. When someone asks us to pray for them, we should do so. We need to show up for work, school, church services and activities - even dates with friends or significant others – on time… if not a little bit early. We must be where we are supposed to be, when we are supposed to be there. When we are at work, we should be working… when we are engaged in any task or activity, we should be fully committed to it. We should be genuine, attentive, and responsible in our relationships with friends, family members, co-workers, church members and acquaintances.
As Christians, we must be fully committed to God. We promised to love Him and to love others as ourselves. How are you doing with that? We promised to serve Him and tell others about the amazing life He offers… the incredible sacrifices He made for all of us through Jesus Christ…the love, care, grace, mercy and forgiveness He provides for us each and every day. Are you doing these things? Are you truly a person of integrity? What is your proof? God has said, “If you will do these things, then I will bless and keep you.” I believe God’s promises (conclusion) to be true… and my “proof” will not be finished until I get to heaven. But I plan to work on it every single day. What about you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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