Imagine if you could simplify being a Christian down to just a few Instructions. Moses does that for us today. He tells the Israelites that God asks three things from you, to walk in his ways, love him, and worship him with all of your heart. Focus on these three, and you won’t go wrong.
Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul?
Let’s Try This Again
Moses is writing these words as he is bringing the second set of the ten commandments down from the mountain. The last time didn’t go so well. As he descended the mountain, he found the Israelites worshipping a golden calf, so he broke the tablets against the rocks. Now he is bringing the second set, and he summarizes what’s in them; obey these commandments and worship the Lord.
Keep It Simple
Sometimes we want to know what to do, to boil it down to the basics, so it is easy to remember. Moses makes it very easy for us. He wants us to focus on three things: walk in his ways, love him, and worship with all your heart. Sounds simple but in reality, it takes total commitment on our part. Before you get overwhelmed let’s break it down.
Walk In His Ways
First, we need to walk in his ways. Obedience is a daily thing, but it is something that we get better at as we do it. When we were young, it took a long time to strengthen our legs to be able to walk. Even then we were still a little wobbly. The more we do it, the better we get and the stronger we become. If you struggle with walking with God, start with just one step and then the next. Give it time and don’t beat yourself up when you stumble.
Love the Lord
Second, we need to love the Lord. We are to love God just as a child loves their parents. He is our heavenly father who loves us dearly. We are to return that love to him. He has redeemed us and placed his Holy Spirit in us, and that should spark a sense of gratitude in our heats.
Worthy of All Praise
Finally, we need to worship him with all of our heart and soul. This means all of our emotions and spirit needs to be poured out when we worship God. He is worthy of all of our praise, and when we do praise him, we need to do it with all of our heart and soul.