Daily Devotions
Careful Obedience
Reading for February 22nd: Deuteronomy 3-4
And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them."
Deuteronomy 5:1
The words "careful" and "care" appear 35 times in the book of Deuteronomy. As Moses prepared the people to go in and take possession of the land, he wanted them to practice careful obedience.
- They were to be careful not to turn to the right hand or to the left (5:32).
- They were to be careful with their children (6:1-3).
- They were to be careful because God had loved them (7:8-11).
- They were to be careful that it might go well with them in the land (8:1).
- They were to be careful not to add to or take from the law (12:32).
- They were to be careful to strictly obey the LORD (15:5).
- They were to be careful because God had delivered them (16:12).
- They were to be careful with all their heart and soul (26:16).
- They were to be careful so they might be exalted above the nations (28:1).
- They were to be careful because God's name is glorious and awesome (28:58).
If this was true under the old covenant, how much more under the new? Should we not have this attitude seeing that we have been saved, "not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy... so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life"? (Titus 3:5, 7)
Indeed we should and we must! "The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works." (Titus 3:8)
Father, how can we not love you with all our heart and all our soul and be careful to keep the words you gave us when we consider the love you have shown us in Christ Jesus?
