Deuteronomy 11

Encouragement abounds in today’s reading, as Moses continues to exhort the Israelites to obedience in Deuteronomy 11. He starts by connecting love for God with keeping His commands, then proceeds to tell of some of God’s mighty wonders in Egypt, at the edge of the Red Sea, and in the wilderness. Assuredly, recounting these moments in Israel’s history had to have prompted the people to revere God for His awesome works. This knowledge presumably would have also made them even more grateful for the fact that this omnipotent Creator loves and cares for them, which should have compelled their hearts to love, serve, and obey Him. Brothers and sisters, we can only love God when we first recognize and receive His love for us (1 John 4:19). And when we internalize the glorious and humbling reality that the One who created the heavens and the earth would care for each of us individually, our hearts should be stirred toward wanting to please Him. 

Once more, Moses reiterates the contrast in outcomes between those who obey God’s commandments and those who disobey. To those who were faithful, God would ensure they were provided for and blessed, but to those who turned aside to “serve other gods and worship them…the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you” (vv. 16-17). These two paths were set before the Israelites, and the choice was theirs. Similarly, a choice of blessings and curses is laid before all mankind today. For those in Christ Jesus, we are blessed because, among many other reasons, our curse of death was laid on Jesus at the Cross. But for those who refuse to put their faith in Him, the curse remains.  

In saying that, followers of Jesus are not exempt from experiencing either God’s hand of blessing for obedience or the consequences of our disobedience through His correction. So, what is a key ingredient to our faithfulness, aside from acknowledging that we are a new creation with God’s divine nature now in us? Moses gives us an indication in verse 18: “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul…” Notice also the psalmist’s words in Psalm 119:11: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Then again, in verse 30 of that same chapter: “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.” When we make the intentional choice to treasure the word of God in our hearts, the Holy Spirit can bring to our minds what He commands at times when we are tempted to stray. But if we don’t know what God says through His Scriptures, the likelihood of us responding faithfully dramatically decreases. 

Let’s use a practical example to further illustrate this point: you tell your daughter that she can go outside, but when she comes back in, she will need to wash her hands before eating. Your little girl is so excited to go play with her friends that she doesn’t listen to your instructions beyond hearing your approval for her to go play. She comes back in after some time, heads straight for the dinner table, bypassing the sink on the way, and starts to eat her supper. Blatant disobedience because she did not listen to, nor store up, your initial direction. We obviously would get frustrated with our children in such a situation, but how often do we do something similar with God? Friends, we must take the time to listen to, meditate on, and commit to memory what God says through His Scriptures. Otherwise, we are shooting arrows in the dark as it relates to perceiving what God expects of His children, and more often than not, that doesn’t end well for us. 

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Journal responses to the following prompts:

·       Do you make it a regular practice of storing God’s Word in your heart? If not, what is preventing you from doing so?

·       I would imagine all of us would desire to live under God’s hand of favor and blessing instead of enduring His discipline. Do your life choices reflect this longing?