Recently, in one of my devotional books, I was encouraged to read Psalm 119:1-88. This is a fabulous word but as I read it there were three words that kept popping up and I had to do some research to know what God was saying to me. Those three words were 1) statutes, 2) judgements, 3) precepts.
So here is the understanding I gained and now pass on to you:
- Statutes- Are God’s warning signs to protect us- they set boundaries for life.
- Judgements- Are God’s word to both comfort and motivate us to live godly lives.
- Precepts- Are God’s guiding principles that are used to influence or control our personal conduct.
What does it mean to keep God’s “statutes”? Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Thus, we need to fall in love with Jesus, then we need to read God’s Word in order to obey His word. Finally, there is our desire to honor God or we step outside of His boundaries. That is not a wise decision! Let me illustrate. In James 1:21 it says, “Therefore lay aside all moral filthiness…” That term, moral filthiness, refers to “ear wax”. When you have a buildup of ear wax your hearing is impaired and that is miserable. So too is moral filth in the Christian life. God’s “statutes” are the warning signs and boundaries for our personal lives.
Christian, we need to know, receive, understand, and finally obey the Lord’s statutes in order to fully honor the Lord in all circumstances.
Let me encourage all of us to read and research some of God’s great statutes for our daily lives. Next time we will look at God’s judgements. God bless you!