WHAT DOES THE LORD YOUR GOD REQUIRE FROM YOU?
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.” (Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT)
Five things that God asks for in this verse:
- For you to fear the Lord.
This does not mean scared or terrified, but a healthy fear; a profound respect toward God that leads you to gladly obey him out of love, not being scared. - For you to live in a way that pleases Him.
Doing His will, according to His commandments, doing good deeds, etc.
- For you to love Him.
How can we not love Him, if He first loved us? Place God first in your life.
- For you to serve him out of love and gratitude.
Everything we have is thanks to God: life, salvation, family, health, work, a home, etc. So, let’s be grateful and serve God in our church through serving people with your gifts.
- That we do these things with sincerity and not out of obligation or manipulation.
He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. (Deuteronomy 10:12)
Why does God want us to obey Him? Why does He ask for all these things?
For our own good.
God’s intention isn’t to annoy us with rules and commands. He is not trying to burden us and make life difficult, rather help us to avoid unnecessary pain in this life. He wishes to help us do things correctly so that everything we do goes well in our spiritual, family, social, and financial life.
Thank you Lord because you love us and always have our best interests in mind.
And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. (Deuteronomy 10:13 NLT).
Think about it:
In what way are you living your life? Your way or God’s way?
What are you thankful to God for? In what ways do you think you can start serving God with your gifts? What necessary changes do you need to make in your life to please God?