December 25, 2022

Passage Read: Deuteronomy 16-19
Meditation Verse: 19:9

Thought

To love the Lord is to walk in His ways, which He has explained in this Law. John says the same thing in his first letter. To love God is to obey His commands, these commands about how to treat one another and how to purge sin from among ourselves. We cannot say we love God and at the same time ignore what He has said. Of course, unless society supports the consequences, we cannot carry out sentence as we wish, but we can treat all people the way God instructs us to treat them. Do good to each other, help each other, share with each other, rebuke sin, protect each other from incurring God's wrath.

Application

The Law describes the character and nature of God and what He wants us to live like. The sentences are out of our reach and the sacrifices are complete in Christ. But the laws about how to treat one another are still descriptive of the nature and heart of God. I'm not required to obey them in order to live; Christ's death and resurrection ensures that for me. But if I love God, I'll care about the instructions He has given and be diligent to pattern my life after these things. They are not exhaustive, but illustrative of the love God has for every one of us, so I should practice them and do even more, out of an understanding of His heart and a love for my fellow man.