So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)
Have you ever noticed that people don’t buy cans of paint, open them up, and just leave them sitting in their house? The value of new paint isn’t in simply owning the paint – the value comes when it’s applied. Sure, these paint cans look pretty, but the real value comes when the colors are applied to the walls. Similarly, God’s commands work the same for us.
It’s not enough to just have God’s commands in our minds – the value comes to us when we actually apply His commands to our lives.
This lesson was of immense importance to the Israelites as they were preparing to enter into the Promised Land. It wouldn’t be enough for them to simply know God’s commands – they needed to be applied and lived out.
The same lesson is important for us. We need to know God’s Word, but we also need to live God’s Word. It’s not enough to know that we’re to put no other gods before the Lord – we actually have to adhere to that advice.
When we obey the commands in the bible, God makes it clear that our lives will be better. I like to think of this as two paths you could walk down. On one path lies God’s blessings while the other path has none of God’s blessings. Being aware of the first path doesn’t mean you get the blessings – they only come when you actually walk down it.
Are you learning about the two paths? Are you choosing to walk down the path of God’s blessings? God’s Word is of immense value not simply for the sake of knowledge but for the application of the knowledge. Strive to be one who applies.
Father, I want to know You more and more. I want to both know Your commands and abide by them – I want to live to please You and so receive Your blessings. Please help me to apply the things that I’m learning, and help me to learn the things that I don’t yet know.
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