I was reading through some old mission poems I had written, and found this one that I apparently never wrote up and sent home. I decided to publish it today. The verse I was reading that inspired this was Mosiah 2:36-41.
Originally written Nov 7, 2018
A God of Commandments
“Keep the commandments of God,”
I read.
Then paused.
Commandments of God?
Why does a God of love,
a powerful Heavenly Father
give us, not guidance, guidelines, suggestions
advice, or even rules, but commandments?
Is it not enough, I thought,
just to be told what is right?
Why must God command me?
Why commandments, specifically?
Perhaps one answer is
that, though commandments have their punishments,
they also have rewards attached,
and God wants to reward us all.
Another thought may be
that God loves us so much
and knows the dire consequences of choices —
mere advise is not enough.
But when faced with a commandment
or choice is not to follow good advice or bad,
but to follow the God of the Universe,
our Savior, Redeemer, and King.
And if it takes guilt’s pounding pressure
and sin’s so bitter pain
to make us choose to change, to turn
back to the path home again,
then I think that it was worth it,
the commandments that God gave.
And so, I’ll follow the commandments of God,
to live with Him again.
