To Do That I Gotta Do This

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 8:11 — “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today…”
 
Observation:
Out of all of the things that I have read in Deuteronomy this week chapter 8 is the one I have like best. It’s just filled with such good news. As I read it I get so excited at the potential and the promise. The imagery is staggering. A land awaits that if filled with honey and barley and wheat and copper and fruits and abundant water and the list goes on and on. Plus, the people are told that they will prosper and multiply. It’s a great day! Oh, and by the way don’t forget God. What?!? How could we ever forget God? He is the reason for all of this. But the warning is issued to be careful because one day you will be prosperous and comfortable. And it is if the people cry out, “We will never forget our God”.
 
Application:
What a great way to end today’s reading, right? But then I had to go and read Mark 15. The crucifixion of Jesus. God’s way of ultimately blessing all people. Why did He have to do it? Because His people kept forgetting about Him. They (and we) were incapable of keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes. If God was to bless His people He was going to have to go further, much further, than giving people guidelines to live by. So, because of His great love for us, He sent us His only son so that we could ultimately kill Him so that in His death we could have true life. To accomplish what God wanted to do he went to the ultimate length – To do that, He had to do this. I wonder if he finally has our attention?
 
Prayer:
God, may I never forget you. May my attention always be on you. I am so sorry to pray this, but forgive me for the times that I forget and do my own things. Thank you for Jesus – for giving me a way to you that is about you and not me. Your love is too much for me to comprehend. Help me love you more. Amen.

— Darren Miley, student pastor