Obey Fully

You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Psalm 119:4

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10

I have once again read the first part of Psalm 119. Verse 4 stood out to me today. We need to follow God to the best of our ability and our understanding. We do not get to choose what parts to keep and what parts to throw away. I feel we are living in an age when we choose to fit the Bible to us and not fit us to the Bible. In Luke 18 is the story of the rich young ruler and he asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus listed several commands: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother. All of these have I kept from my youth, then Jesus said sell all that you have and give it to the poor. At this the young ruler became sad, for he was very wealthy. We must learn to fully obey God and keep nothing from him. No part of our life is sacred and can be held back. We must surrender all. This young man had treasure on earth and Jesus saw that it meant more to him than following Jesus. Jesus does see into our hearts. I remember a time in my life when I went through my first divorce. I was lonely and desired sex. It was a part of my life I didn't feel I could trust to God. I wanted to be married. I went through 4 divorces in ten years. I got this God, I searched for a Godly woman or so I thought. I don't know why I didn't think I could wait on God, he created me just the way I was. I went through a class called Divorce Recovery, and they recommend that you remain unmarried for a period of one year for every 4 or 5 you were married. I had been married 20 years. That would mean to wait a period of 4 to 5 years before I would look for another woman. I got this, I don't need to wait this period of time. I married within 6 months of my first divorce, and divorced again. I got this, and within six months I was married again. And divorced in another year. I didn't want to live in sin, but I wasn't willing to wait on God. I wasn't willing to listen to those that had been through what I was going through. I wasn't willing to spend the time alone to heal. What  a mess I made of my life. God understands us better than we understand ourselves. When I look back I think of how much pain I could have avoided if I had given everything to God. It wasn't earthy riches with me, but still I became sad when what I wanted did not fit what God was saying to me. We need to give everything, every part of our life to God and trust him in everything. Perhaps we have given 90% of our lives over to God, is there 10% that we feel we can handle. Is there a part of scripture that we don't agree with. We will not make it. We will be like the rich young ruler and walk away. Jesus needs to be Savior and Lord. If Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all. God has laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. I remember a young man that said he wanted to invest his tithe and someday when he was rich he would then pay on his riches instead of the small amount he was making at the time. We don't get to choose what and when we obey. I wonder if as he has aged like me (we were both young at he time) if he has made his riches and if it is easier to pay ten percent of a thousand than it was to pay ten percent of a hundred? I would guess probably not, because he has set a pattern in his life to not obey God's word but follow his own plan. Perhaps God changed his heart along the way. God's precepts are to be fully obeyed. What one thing do we still lack like the young ruler in Luke 18? God bless, LVZ.