Today's encouragement comes from Judges 5:31a & b, where we read these words:
"Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength."Deborah sang these words at the end of her victory song. With regard to the True God, everybody falls (ultimately) into one of two polar-opposite catego-ries: either that of utter destruction (at His hands), or that of grace and full-ness (in His Son). There is one all-telling characteristic that settles the issue: do we love God in Jesus Christ (by faith), or not?
. . . If we do love God, then we are abundantly blessed, despite all the trou-bles and hardships that we must face. If we do not love God, then we remain His enemies—and it is never a good idea to be at enmity with the God who is powerful enough to save sinners, and create the entire universe.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Acts of sin may be restrained out of fear or design; but a true penitent turns from sin out of a religious principle, namely, love to God.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]
