Careful

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8

Careful – “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Be careful how you answer.  The same Hebrew word (shamar) is used in both thoughts.  To be careful is to be one who watches over something.  When Cain answers God’s question, he implies that he has no obligation to be careful.  He isn’t a keeper.  But the tora says otherwise.

Yesterday we discovered that meditation is about active obedience.  Today we find that being careful is guarding what you do.  There is a divine plan here.  Listen.  Memorize.  Contemplate.  Act.  Watch.

Do you think that God’s design for harmony with the universe has changed since the time of Moses?  I doubt it.  The same design is still in place today.  If I want to be aligned with God’s way of doing things, I will need to be careful about what I think and what I do.  Moses tells me that I need to do all according to God’s instructions.  But I find that many times my watchfulness does not extend to all my actions.  I am careful about the “spiritual” part of life, but sometimes I let other things slide.  I often get caught in the trap of believing that God doesn’t really understand a Profit and Loss statement, that God can’t really expect me to behave with kindness toward my enemies, that God must not really hold me accountable for those few glances or that occasional word.  I can always be seduced by the lie that God grades on the curve – that my good works will balance out my faults.  God does not grade on the curve; He grades on the cross.  If He was willing to die over being careful, do you think He expects us to be any less diligent?

Take a minute and read the story of Cain and Abel again.  You will discover something amazing in Genesis 4:7.  God expects Cain to master his own carelessness.  We are responsible for carefulness.

Be a keeper of your own actions.  Then you will be able to watch out for your brother.

Today’s Action:  I will write the word CAREFUL on my calendar today.  I will remember to be the keeper of me.

(verse continued tomorrow)