Walk steadily into Advent ….into Christ Himself….into God. If you are anything like me the 10 commandments have always represented law! It is the epitome of a to do list.

ADVENT – seeing Gods love come to life – this law in action = is CHRIST

You shall have no other God before me = CHRIST moved as the Father spoke. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  Christ even though He was God in the flesh did not set himself up as GOD but always pointed to the Father.

Christ came to fulfill the law to teach us that the law was” love for us” not rules and slavery. God wanted to be joined to us. To love us as a husband loves his wife. Sadly, we often behave like Hosea’s wife, Gomer, who runs after the lesser loves of this world, prostituting herself. We too chase everything but GOD. GOD CHASED US FIRST. David was a man after God’s own heart and was a complete mess but God called him blessed and loved him. I think that is what we are all after = to be loved. Those 10 commandments are not about rules but rather relationships!

The ways, all of my ways. How can I confess all the ways of my heart? Do I need to confess when I live it? Broken ….flawed…..messed up and missing the mark. Whatever you wanna call it -I have been there. Most days we can’t even keep the first law and neither can I. Have no other God before me ….let nothing steal your affection for ME. I can’t pass up a brownie that doesn’t steal my affection, for almost the whole year I have been in a fight with sugar. How do you return to a holy God after a brownie stole your heart? Only through Christ!

Seriously, we all live distracted lives attracted to things that feel good and pay fast. Our affections float after just about anything.

sweets and treats – attention and affection – perfection and rights and might

Despite it all CHRIST CAME KNOWING we fail like this and endured the cross to make a way for us to always be able to turn around and say “Father help me !” I want to love you. I am scared. I am sorry I ran away, again! And very time God sees His Son in us and says “come here, my love, come away with me. “

Journal this or at least ponder it and bring your thoughts to God:

What steals your affections? Are you willing to cry out to God and watch Him move?

All is grace,

Starla