FOR YOUR BENEFIT
DEUTERONOMY 10:12-13 NKJV
DEUTERONOMY 10:12-13 NKJV
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?
OBSERVATION:
The Old Testament is not something to be ignored. We live in the days of the New Testament. Grace and truth have come to us through Jesus and are hallmarks of the New Testament, but this does not mean we ignore the principles we find in the Old.
In our verses for today, we discover how we are to respond to God. Even though these are Old Testament verses, the principles we find here pertain to us today.
What does the Lord require of us? As we examine these two verses, I cannot find a valid reason to ignore these instructions. If anything, these instructions should be in our lives in a greater measure. We are the ones who have been spiritually recreated as new. We are the children of light. We are the ones who have the Holy Spirit living in us.
Fear God. This indicates a respect for God. A place in our hearts where we honor and look to please Him.
Walk in all His ways. Because we have such a reverence for God, we want to walk in such a way that honors Him.
Love the Lord. More than a feeling, this is a love that produces commitment. Because we love God, we put Him first.
Serve the Lord with all your heart and soul. Serving the Lord is just as much a part of these instructions as fear, obedience, and love for Him.
Keeping His commandments. In our day, the first commandment is to walk in love toward the family of God. Jesus said that He gave a new commandment in John 13:34-35. He did not say we are to ignore the other commandments and instructions from the Lord.
APPLICATION:
Having a reverence for God. Walking in ways that please Him. Loving the Lord and keeping His commandment to love one another. Serving the Lord with our whole heart and soul. These are not ancient words with no validity for our current day.
These verses can provide a great heart checklist. How am I doing in these five key areas?
The good news is that adjustments can be made, and progress can be obtained in all five areas. Keep in mind all these are for our benefit. They are good for us.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please help me by showing me where I can level up in all five of these areas.