When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me? Verses 3-4
Matthew 5:27-29,33-37
These are some of the "hard sayings" of Jesus. And what they mean to me is this: Say what you mean. Don't embellish your speech. Don't tell people you will pray for them when you won't. Don't lust after members of the opposite sex (or the same one, for that matter). It's like the title of the reading says, "Live Before God." To me, that means live as though God sees everything you do, see, think and hear. Because he does. He knows when I lust. He knows what I think about those people that I have trouble loving. He knows when I'm lying to someone just to get away from them. And he sees what I do when no one else is looking.
If we would stay in constant reminder of that truth, our lives would likely be a lot less cluttered.
The translator says, in verse, 29, "Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is." Oh, friends, it's not easy at all. I believe firmly that anyone who says it is is either pretending, lying, or they have reached perfection in their relationship with Christ.
I have yet to meet anyone who has achieved that.
These commands speak volumes to me, especially as we are about to embark on an exciting journey. I will endeavor to keep God in the forefront of my thoughts.
Grace and peace, friends, and see you in Boston!