December 23, 2022

Passage Read: Deuteronomy 8-11
Meditation Verses: 10:12-16

Thought

Throughout Scripture, there is only one right response to the mercy and undeserved kindness of the Lord: humble submission to His commands, which were given for the people's own good. God's commands are not evil, nor are they too hard for us, but they do require a change of heart, from selfish to caring of others. That's the hardest part. We want to follow our fleshly desires, to live for ourselves and our pleasures, even at the expense of others. We think it's okay, as long as we don't hurt anyone else, but God says we are hurting others by our example and we're hurting ourselves by storing up wrath against ourselves. God has no desire to destroy men; His righteousness and holiness demand it, but He would rather that men repent and live, so He extends mercy and grace again and again, but not forever, nor is He obligated to do it even once.

Application

Unless we see how undeserving we are of the Lord's goodness to us, we will never appreciate how much He has done for us, and we'll never understand how much we owe Him. He has been so good to me, far, far beyond what I deserve, so the only right thing for me to do in response is to humble myself before Him and live as He asks. His commands are for my good and for the good of those around me. He has chosen me to enjoy His favor forever, how can I not give Him everything I am? How can I not live wholly for Him? How can I not do anything He asks? That is but the least I can do for Him, out of gratitude for the immeasurable grace and kindness He has shown me by choosing me as an object of His love and favor.