While driving to school today I was thinking about something that I have mused on many times before. Not only Gods great love for His children in general, but how it is so incredibly evident in His commandments to us. Now granted, some commandments are more aimed at giving proper respect to Our Lord, such as not worshiping idols, properly using the Lord's name, and other such commands. The commandments that I am referring to include some of the old testament food laws, but some that also stand today. Many if not all of the old commandments like not eating pork, or bottom dwelling crustaceans, when looked at today make sense as more than just a call to obediance. Pork back then, and a lot of crustaceans (and some people still refuse to eat these things) were incredibly dangerous to eat. They could carry quite a few bacteria and viruses, and I would imagine things were not always being cooked correctly. So not only was God putting forth a method of obedience but the thing that He was requiring was not only healthy spiritually for the people but also physically healthy for them.

There are also the laws that we are still held to today, such as not binding outselves, particularily in the case of marriage or similar relationships, to an unbeleiver, not getting drunk (drinking is allowed just not getting drunk), or many other examples which i can't think of right now... :D For the first one, marrying an unbeleiver I can imagine would end up causing incredible stress for both people. You have to deal with how to raise the kids, the bleieving spouse dealing with the actions of the unbeleiver that are wrong, and just general discord in the relationship. Not to say that two married Christians don't have their own problems, because they do, one of the lovely things of us living in a sinful world. So if you only marry Christians (in general and also follow the other standards laid out for a spouse in the Bible...) much of this stress will be non-existant or at least greatly reduced. Once again better health and a more enjoyable life through obediance to our Lord. I think most people can see the benfets of not getting drunk, especially those who have been/are related to acohalics.

When you look at God's laws for our lives, rarely if ever do you find one that is just there for the sake of obediance. Generally if youstudy them further, and even if we don't have an answer now in the future, there are more reasons for following those statutes that are laid out for our lives.

Just thought I would share that. If you notice something wrong please make me aware of it.
In the loving service of our Lord,
Daniel