Today’s Reading, Deuteronomy 24-27
Focal Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:16“The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. Follow them carefully with all your heart and all your soul.”
If we are all honest following what we are asked to do from the Lord can be difficult. It is not because the task or the command is difficult. The problem resides within us as people. We have a sin nature that wants to do the opposite of what is right. We have a nature that is in rebellion to the holiness of God.
As Moses is teaching the people his has to constantly remind them of common sense commands and life strategies that will lead the people to a right relationship with the Lord. He constantly wants them to be reminded of how God is holy and how they need to submit to his leadership. Unfortunately, the people even with all of these helps and reminders will continually look for ways to do evil and rebel against the Lord.
The lesson in this for believers today is that we actually do what the Lord has commanded. We have the Holy Spirit who wants to help us live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Even though we are no longer under the law the principles that the statutes and ordinances upheld still apply. We must be a people that love the Lord and love people.
This way this task can be accomplished is relying on standards that God has set for us. We need to guard our hearts and our relationships with others. Watch out for idols in our lives and understand that God takes sin seriously. Believers can know this, if they know the Bible. The main problem that exists today are people who know all of the right things to say but it has never transformed their hearts.
For this to be accomplished we must do what Moses commanded and write his law on our hearts. The law matters as it shows us who we really are without Christ. The law is not something to run away from but a guide to run to. Knowing the law shows us Gods heart.
What the law shows me is that God takes the relationship between humanity and himself very serious. The law shows me that God does not want to share us with others. The law shows me that God wants to protect us from pain and bad decisions. The law shows me that nobody can fulfill its demands other than Christ. The law points me to the only one who can redeem my soul.
Following the Lord’s commands is not an exercise in religion but a beacon that points us to Christ.
Tomorrow I plan on reading Deuteronomy 28-29
