 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you.5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the Lord your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you.8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Choice of Life and Death11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,[b]then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Meditation God’s work of redemptive restoration is marked with repentance and forgiveness, returning home to love God with all our heart. Our sin is never the end of the story. The work of Jesus is the way for believers to return to the love of our Father, by God’s Spirit walking forward in a newness of life. There is no such thing as “mostly” loving God. Jesus gave His life for the Church and in response believers love our Lord and Savior with everything, all our heart. The central call of this chapter is to return to loving God with all our heart (6, 16, 20), emphasizing the fundamental imperative since Deuteronomy 6. Love is a movement from the inside out, marked by circumcision of the heart and manifest in turning from other loves to obey our Redeemer. Divine desire is for God’s people to know His delight (9), that we would return to Him with all our heart. Moses’ challenge to choose life is an invitation to return to restoration discovered in God’s covenant (1-10) by prioritizing choosing life and love over death and destruction (11-20). The work of Jesus is the way we return home to our Father’s love, trusting His death satisfies God’s wrath and gives grace for us to choose abundant life in Him. The work of Jesus is the way to return to our Father for renewal. The Holy Spirit is the means, whose work alone circumcises our hearts. God’s Spirit leads us, as dearly loved children, to love the Lord with all our heart (Romans 8:1-15). Richly Dwelling -God’s grace is astounding, always inviting us to return to Him and His love by giving us life through loving Him with all our heart. What stands out to you from today’s reading? -Where do you turn for love other than the Lord? Is it giving you the life and restoration you long for? -Jesus is the way we return to loving God with all our heart, a work accomplished by the power of God’s Spirit. Take a moment to ask God to search your heart and help you, by His Spirit, to put to death all competing loves, that you may choose life and live in abundant life as you walk in a newness of life. Key Verse 6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Comments are closed.
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