WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE?
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?
There will be times when you are reading a chapter, and nothing is registering with you. What then? I will often go back and read the chapter again and maybe a third time. If still nothing is clicking, do not get discouraged; you have not wasted your time. Simply move on and read something else. This is one of the reasons I like our Bible 365 plan. With chapters in the Old Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs, there is a variety of reading, and something will register on your heart.
This is why we are reading from the book of Deuteronomy today. I read and reread Romans 11, and nothing clicked, so I moved on and found this reading in our Old Testament chapter. The principles here still apply to us today.
There is another verse that is much better known regarding what the Lord requires in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” This is a great verse, but I believe our verses for today are even more comprehensive.
Fear, have divine respect, and awe of God. Walk, conduct your life, in all His ways. To love, value and place God as top priority. And to serve Him with all of our heart and soul in whatever we do, living as to the Lord and not to men. And to keep His commandments.
The end of verse 13 says all these things are for our good. The margin of my Bible says for our benefit or welfare. Doing what God requires, which I paraphrased above, is for our good. Living for God benefits us. Paul wrote Timothy that godliness, living devoted to God, is profitable. Living for God profits us in this life and the life to come.
APPLICATION
I think we have bought in too much to the wrong idea that living for God is too hard or too constrictive. The enemy of our soul, Satan, has sold us this lie. The big problem is that if we believe God requires too much, we will not give much of an effort. Yes, there is crucifying the flesh. Yes, there is no returning evil for evil. Yes, there is the challenge of walking in love. Living for God is not easy, but then life is not easy. And living outside of God’s love and plan is harder. Proverbs 13:15 says, “the way of the transgressors is hard.” A transgressor is unfaithful to the Lord.
Making the effort to fear God. To walk in God’s ways. To love and serve God with all of our heart and keep His commandments is not too much for us. And what God requires is not for Him; it’s for our good.
PRAYER
Thank You, Heavenly Father, that I can do what You require. The nation of Israel was Your servants, but You have made me Your child, and that is a stronger position.