Roots by the River

Here is another way. This time it is a prayer for the Christians at Philippi. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11) It is also by prayer with some differences.

There are better ways to obey the commands of God than try, effort or will power. Here is one of the ways: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:9-12) The Colossians end up having all of the characteristics simply because Paul had prayed for them to have them. They had no means of obeying them. They could not be filled with the knowledge of His will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding by any a

Please pay clear attention to the words of Jesus. “If you love me, keep my commands...Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:15;21) “...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Loving Jesus requires obedience to his commands. Discipleship requires obeying everything he commands his disciples. Here are a few of many commands: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' and I said, 'Here am I. Send me!' He said, 'Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.'” (Isaiah 6:8-10) These few verses are quoted in the New Testament. The first is in Matthew 13 when Jesus says why he uses parables so that people would not understand. “This is why I speak to them in parables: 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.' In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ''You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear