Reminders

A guest post by Matt Hartel:

Catherine spent the day with some friends at a baby shower, leaving me to take the role of mommy for a day. This is what much of our day sounded like:

"Eat your dinner, Rachel.. Just try your green beans..."
"Abby, stay close to Daddy. Don't run away Abby!"
"Rachel, don't fight with your sister. Be kind to your sister."
"Abby, hold still! Let Daddy get your diaper on."

I spent most of my day - not teaching the girls something new - but reminding them of what they already knew to be true. In many ways, they know the truth and continually need to be reminded to obey it, sometimes with a little discipline behind the reminder, much like the law presented throughout scripture.

I'm thankful for the reminders of scripture. Though I know many things in my mind about obedience to Christ, I find my heart constantly wanders away. More than ever, I realize that the laws that expose my sinfulness are not something I can fulfill on my own, no matter how hard I try. Ezekiel 36:26 reminds me of the promise that was fulfilled in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

I thank God for doing (and continuing to do) this to my own heart. I pray for the faith to trust in this work to my own children, should He please to do so. Knowing that He ultimately works the heart transplant - and not me - is a reminder I need every day.