February 11 - Deuteronomy 4-6
This is such a wonderful part of the Old Testament. It is so applicable to our lives today. Even if a person does not like to read the Old Testament as much as the New Testament, I believe that person would love the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses begins by reminding the people of how God spoke to them and how He delivered them from Egypt. God had never before worked in such a direct way with a whole group of people. The realization of God's powerful care and communication with them should keep them from making and/or worshiping any kind of dead idol. However, God gives Moses a glimpse into the future. He tells Moses to warn the people that if they disobey God and follow idols, they will be taken from the Land and scattered among the nations. Then, if they would repent of their sin and cry out to Him, He would forgive them, and return them to the Land. That is exactly what ended up happening.
Why did that happen after all that God had done for His people? The reason is the same reason people get away from God today. We forget what God has done in the course of our lives. We stop listening for Him to speak to us. We begin living like the unbelievers around us and letting other things be our objects of worship instead of God. We forsake His commands, and we try to do it our own way. All of this disobedience leads to God's punishment, so we will be turned back to Him. It happened to Israel, and it happens to us today.
The solution is in Deuteronomy six. We must love the Lord completely. Yes, we must fear God and trust God, but the main motivation for our relationship must be love. That will ensure our obedience with a good attitude, and it will enhance our fear of God and our faith. Love is the only pure motivation for a relationship with a human or with God. That is why God gave us the capacity to love. He loves us, and He wants us to love Him back. He wants our obedience and our service to flow out of a heart of love for Him. Then, we don't obey and serve because we have to, but because we want to. That makes all the difference. I urge you to fall in love with the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and strength, and stay in love with Him that way all of your life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 7-10.
Moses begins by reminding the people of how God spoke to them and how He delivered them from Egypt. God had never before worked in such a direct way with a whole group of people. The realization of God's powerful care and communication with them should keep them from making and/or worshiping any kind of dead idol. However, God gives Moses a glimpse into the future. He tells Moses to warn the people that if they disobey God and follow idols, they will be taken from the Land and scattered among the nations. Then, if they would repent of their sin and cry out to Him, He would forgive them, and return them to the Land. That is exactly what ended up happening.
Why did that happen after all that God had done for His people? The reason is the same reason people get away from God today. We forget what God has done in the course of our lives. We stop listening for Him to speak to us. We begin living like the unbelievers around us and letting other things be our objects of worship instead of God. We forsake His commands, and we try to do it our own way. All of this disobedience leads to God's punishment, so we will be turned back to Him. It happened to Israel, and it happens to us today.
The solution is in Deuteronomy six. We must love the Lord completely. Yes, we must fear God and trust God, but the main motivation for our relationship must be love. That will ensure our obedience with a good attitude, and it will enhance our fear of God and our faith. Love is the only pure motivation for a relationship with a human or with God. That is why God gave us the capacity to love. He loves us, and He wants us to love Him back. He wants our obedience and our service to flow out of a heart of love for Him. Then, we don't obey and serve because we have to, but because we want to. That makes all the difference. I urge you to fall in love with the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and strength, and stay in love with Him that way all of your life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 7-10.