“But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.” Deuteronomy 30:17-18
Do we turn aside from worshiping and serving the true God? We do so whenever we make a god in our own image, when we believe in and worship a god who thinks and acts in agreement with our thoughts, views and opinions (cf. Ex. 20:1-6). And to worship and serve any god or understanding of god besides the God who has revealed himself to us in the Bible is idolatry and brings God’s wrath and punishment.
Forgive us, O God, for attempting to conform You to our image instead of worshiping and serving You as You have revealed Yourself to us in the Bible. Grant that we worship and serve only You. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, and death and disaster. What I am commanding you today is to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, so that you may live and multiply. Then the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.” Deuteronomy 30:15-16
People in Old Testament times, as well as today, forget there is blessing in loving the LORD God of the Bible and walking in His ways, and there is cursing and judgment upon those who turn away from the LORD and walk in their own ways and according to their own views and opinions. God would have us repent of our sinful ways and look to Him for mercy in Christ Jesus and for the sake of His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins, lest His judgments fall upon us.
Have mercy upon me, O God, and pardon my offenses for the sake of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death on the cross for the sins of the world. Create in me a genuine love for You and the desire to walk in accord with Your Word. Amen.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
When we remember that the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word to convict us of sin and to create and sustain faith in our hearts which is in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, we see how important it is to continue to hear and learn God’s Word that the Holy Spirit might continue His gracious work in us and preserve us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting.
O Holy Spirit, grant that I hear, read, mark, learn, and meditate in Your Word that You may preserve me in the true and saving faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring good news of good things!’” Romans 10:14-15
How important it is that pastors or preachers be called and sent to proclaim the gospel of peace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross! Without preachers of the gospel, few will hear of Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for sin, and few will believe, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
O gracious God, raise up faithful preachers and move us to support the preaching of the gospel so that the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ may be heard by people in every place. Amen.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 16:25
It is our very nature to justify ourselves and think that our choices in life are good and right, but instead of leading to life, they lead to death and condemnation. We ought to examine our ways in the light of God’s Word, repent of the sin and evil in our lives, and look to God for mercy in Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Your Word, O Lord, is good and right. It reveals my sin but shows me the way of forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior. Grant that I hear and heed Your Word. Amen.
