Bible Studies

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Deuteronomy 10:12-13 – “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD'S commands and His decrees which I am giving you today for your own good?”

Thesaurus Fun:

Ask – require, insist on, expect
Keep – fulfill, carry out, honor, adhere to, obey

God’s Commands

Because God had given us His Word, we don’t have to wonder what He is like or what He wants form us because in Scripture He tells us. First, God wants us to “fear” Him – this is not the kind of fear that causes you to run away in terror (or it shouldn’t anyway), but the kind of fear that leads you to respect and honor the One who is holy, all-knowing, and all-powerful. Next, God expects us to therefore live in a way that pleases Him which means to love Him and serve Him with all that we are – nothing held back – and we do this best by obeying the commands, rules, and guidelines that He has set down in His word. The commands that God gives are for our good. He is not trying to rob us of the joys of this life, rather, He is trying to help us avoid things that can seem desirable up front but hurt us in the end. He wants us to reject these things rather than “enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25), because “these things result in death” (Romans 6:21).

God says to you, “Listen to Me and I will tell you the best way to live.” The Lord’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) – but they can seem that way when we try to live lives of selfish pleasure, disregarding the consequences of sin which will destroy you in the end. This destruction comes physically through STD’s, lung cancer, liver failure, ect. and also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually through greed, unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, pride, jealousy, and anger. God would keep you from these things for He made you and He loves you. The Psalmist says, Trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit everything to the Lord, trust Him and He will take care of you.” (Psalm 37:3-5). When we obey God we enable His blessings in our lives but when we sin we reap the consequences of that sin. Those consequences may not be obvious immediately, but the natural consequences of sin will catch up with you unless God directly intervenes.

Obedience always carries with it this promise “then you will safely in the land and prosper.” (Psalm 37:3). When we obey God, His protection surrounds us; and when we trust Him, He takes care of us. This does not mean that trouble never comes, for it will as long as we are in this world (John 16:33), but if we trust God we can know that “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). If we are obeying Him, then we can be certain that what we suffer is not punishment from God but merely the trials of this life and that if we persevere in our faith in Him, He will reward us in the end.

Point to Ponder

Are you disobeying God in some area of your life because you think that He’s just trying to spoil your fun? Or maybe because you are just enjoying it too much? What consequences are you seeing as a result of your disobedience? Understand that worse is coming if you don’t repent and turn from that sin. Are you ready to live the way that God wants you to live – with reverence for who God is, to follow Him, love Him, serve Him, and obey Him completely – with His help?

Let’s pray, “All-mighty, all-knowing Lord, sovereign and holy, faithful and true – thank You for Your Word that we would not be left in the dark but that we would be able to know You and to know the way we should live. Father, we know that Your commands are for our good, to protect us from the consequences and deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). Help us to always see Your commands in this light. May we learn to trust You completely and to obey You fully and unhesitatingly. Lord, teach us to commit our way to You (Psalms 37:5) that You would be the one to direct our steps (Psalms 37:23). Right now, O God, we repent of the sins that we have clung to – we confess that they are sin and we turn from them to follow You. We confess our sin to You that You would forgive us and cleanse us according to Your promise (1 John 1:9). If it be Your will, Lord, rescue us from the consequences that we bring on ourselves but if we must go through it, help us to learn from it and avoid it in the future. We thank You that You have already paid the ultimate price and consequence of our sin through Your death and atoning work on the cross. Help us now to have the desire and power (Philippians 2:13) by Your Holy Spirit to follow You, live for You, and honor You for the rest of our lives. Amen.”

See these songs: It’s all about You, Burning (All for Us)

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