IF. . . THEN


by Barri Cae Mallin

Shalom. My name is Barri Cae. I was raised in a Jewish home and was saved in 1980
in my cousin's Jewish delicatessen. To God be all the glory. Shalom.

All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

- Psalm 25:10 -

When we come to faith in Messiah Yeshua, we realize how great the love of God is. There is nothing greater in life than to realize the unconditional love of God. He forgives our past sins; He gives us help for today and promises us eternal life The beautiful word ‘agape’ is almost inexpressible to us, His children.

As we grow in our faith, we realize that our expression of our love of God is demonstrated in our commitment to Him. It is not a works system, but one of love. After all, if you love someone, you want to do everything in your power to express that love. As we walk daily in the light of God’s countenance, we desire to be like Him, to live a holy separated life, and show Him how we love Him. We do this not because we have to, but because we want to, because we love Him.

Is there anything better than the favor of God? The Hebrew word for favor is rah-tzone רָצוֹן for will, favor, delight, acceptable goodness. Don’t we all love God’s favor? Yeshua even instructs us to pray for it in Matthew 6:10, Your kingdom come, Your will (rah-tzone) be done on earth as it is in heaven. Psalm 5:12 states For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor (rah-tzone) as with a shield. Psalm 30:5 states For His anger is but for a moment, His favor (rah-tzone) is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. When one is blessed by the LORD’s favor, it is better than any material gift one can receive. You cannot put God’s favor in a gift-wrapped box. It demonstrates His love for His children. Psalm 145:19, He will fulfill the desire (rah-tzone) of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. Proverbs 12: 2 states, A good man will obtain favor (rah-tzone) from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

If we cannot earn God’s favor, how can we demonstrate our love for Him? There is a blessing in that Hebrew word rah-tzone. If one takes the Hebrew consonants of that word and reverses them, one gets the word nah-tzahr נָצַר. The word nah-tzahr means to watch, to guard, to keep secret, to keep close, to guard with fidelity. Psalm 25:10 states All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep (nah-tzahr) His covenant and His testimonies. I want the lovingkindess and truth paths of the LORD! I will keep His covenant and testimonies. Psalm 78:7 notes That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep (nah-tzahr) His commandments. Psalm 119:2 asserts How blessed are those who observe (nah-tzahr) His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. Proverbs 16:17 states The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches (nah-tzahr) his way preserves his life.

There are conditions in walking with the LORD. Believers are to trust in the LORD, to keep His commandments, to observe His testimonies, watch our way. We nah-tzahr watch, guard, observe. In turn, the LORD blesses us with rah-tzone רָצוֹן goodness, favor, good will.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Yeshua to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will (rah-tzone), to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will (rah-tzone), according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Messiah, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (rah-tzone), to the end that we who were the first to hope in Messiah would be to the praise of His glory.

- Ephesians 1:3-10 -

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Copyright © Barri Cae Mallin.

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