JULY 23, 2013
Road
Construction
Read: Jeremiah 31:31-34
We have been delivered from the law, . . . so that we should
serve in the newness of the Spirit. —Romans 7:6
Here
in Michigan we joke that we have two seasons: winter and road construction.
Harsh winters damage road surfaces, so repair crews begin their work as soon as
the ice melts and the ground thaws. Although we call this work “construction,”
much of what they do looks like “destruction.” In some cases, simply patching
holes
is not an option. Workers have to replace the old road with a new one.
That’s
what it can feel like when God is at work in our lives. Throughout the Old
Testament, God told His people to expect some major renovation on the road
between Him and them (Isa. 62:10-11; Jer. 31:31). When God sent Jesus, it
seemed
to the Jews as if their way to God was being destroyed. But Jesus wasn’t
destroying
anything. He was completing it (Matt. 5:17). The old way paved with
laws became a
new way paved with the sacrificial love of Jesus.
God
is still at work replacing old ways of sin and legalism with the way of love
that
Jesus completed. When He removes our old ways of thinking and behaving, it
may
feel as if everything familiar is being destroyed. But God is not
destroying anything;
He is building a better way. And we can be confident that
the end result will be
smoother relationships with others and a closer
relationship with Him.
Free from the law—O happy condition!
Jesus has bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Grace has redeemed us once for all. —Bliss
Upheaval often precedes spiritual progress.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
