Obadiah 15 “’For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.’”

JUDGMENT

If you have ever done any study on prophecy, then you are familiar with this term, “the day of the Lord.” It is a day of judgment. Those who do not worship our Lord and Savior will face judgment that day. But all of us who are in Christ will have no fear of judgment on this day. Our fate was sealed once we bowed before the Lord and acknowledged Him as Lord and Savior. Our sins are forgiven and covered with the blood! Hallelujah!

Our children can understand judgment, can’t they? They feel “judged” every time you have to correct them or discipline them. No one likes being judged, and no one likes be punished. But that’s life here. We cannot possibly keep all the laws that are contained in the Old Testament. And if we fail to keep just one, we are guilty of them all. How defeating! How depressing! How hopeless.

TEACHING MOMENT

You can drive this point home with your kids sometime by making a list of rules for them to follow for a day. Get them to even help make the list. But make sure you put one in there that will be impossible for them to keep. At the end of the day, go over how they did. Make sure you point out how they failed to keep the impossible one.

Then forgive them. Wipe the slate clean. Tell them all is forgiven. Now, you can show them how that is the same (but much better) in Christ. We can try and try to be good. We may even do well for a while, but sooner or later we are going to fall flat on our face. The beauty of being in Jesus is that He knows we are going to fail and is ready to pick us up. He wants us to live holy lives, but also loves to extend grace and mercy to us.

How are feeling today? Do you feel defeated? Or do you know your security lies in Christ and not in keeping a set of rules and laws that are impossible? You can live free of fear of coming judgment. Trust Him!