Today’s thought “What does the LORD your God require …?” (April 25)

Today’s thought

“What does the LORD your God require …?”

(April 25)

Today’s two chapters in Deuteronomy ‘inspire’ us as we come to the ‘heart’ of Moses’ final message before he dies. And we also have Acts 1 and the final words of Jesus before he ascends to heaven.

Deuteronomy 10 records this declaration by Moses!

“And now, Israel (and are we not spiritual Israelites – the people of God!) what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God”

and, as a result

“to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD … for your good?” (verses 12,13).

Chapter 11 starts,

“You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always … consider the discipline of the LORD your God, his greatness …”

Today, men have discovered the unlimited wonders of creation – both on the earth and the endless wonders of space, never before have humans been so aware of “his greatness” – and yet so blind to it!

In verse 13 comes the vitally important, but qualifying little word “if”!

“If you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give … ”

his blessings of a fruitful land!

Moses then tells them,

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them …” (verses 18,19)

whenever opportunity occurs – which, in reality, is in a lot of situations.

Surely these words inspire us to do the same, indeed, all the more because our promised land is now so near! It is so appropriate that our New Testament chapter (Acts 1) tells us of the ascent of Jesus to heaven and how before this “during forty days” he was

“speaking about the kingdom of God” (verse 3)

to his disciples.

This is the ultimate fulfilment of what we have read in Deuteronomy. We are on the brink of the promised land “of the kingdom of God” – and we know the answer to the question