Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man: A Daily Devotional

by Walter A. Henrichsen

or a request?” I can respond in two ways: I can say, “yes, it is a law. I am head of the home; bring me the cup of coffee.” Or more wisely I can say, “of course you do not have to,” and get the cup of coffee myself. In either case, her asking the question alerts me to the fact that something is terribly wrong in our relationship. When you love another the difference between law and request should be moot. You need to know what a person wants in order to give it to him, and you should view the commandments of God from this perspective. For this reason, the distinction between law and request should be blurred in the mind of the dedicated follower of Christ. You sense this attitude in the Psalms of David. Because He had a heart to please God, he did not feel as though he rested under the weight of God’s decrees. Rather he saw God’s Law as an opportunity to know what delights the Lover of his soul. David wanted to keep the Law, simply because He loved God and wanted to please Him.

May this be my constant motive!