January 21

Exodus 19:8
“And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.” ―Exodus 19:88And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. (Exodus 19:8).
AT the moment, they doubtless meant every word that they said, but they little realized the incorrigible evil of their own hearts and the resulting untrustworthiness of their best intentions. It was not long before the people who promised such implicit obedience were dancing around the golden calf, and from that time on theirs was a history of alternate failure and partial revival, until, at last, God disowned them and cast them away from their land. Never will they be restored as a nation until they acknowledge their sin and seek His face (Hos. 5:1515I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. (Hosea 5:15)). Then they will realize that it is not in man’s unaided power to keep God’s holy commandments. Man can Live victoriously only through the might of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
“How long beneath the law, I lay
In bondage and distress!
I tried the precept to obey,
But toiled without success.
Then, all my servile works were done,
A righteousness to raise;
Now, freely chosen in the Son
I freely choose His ways.
To see the law by Christ fulfilled
And hear Gods pardoning voice,
Will change a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.”
—Anon.