| NASB | NLT | VOICE |
| 4 You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. | 4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. | 4 Remain loyal to Him! Fear Him and obey His commands. Listen to His voice. Worship Him alone. Be fervently devoted to Him. |
Moses is reiterating the importance of loyalty to God as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land. To follow God means to be on an ongoing journey to God. It connects to what Jesus said in Matthew 16:24: “…take up your cross, and follow me.” We are called to follow and fear God. To fear God doesn’t mean to be terrified of God. It’s about recognizing God’s authority and wisdom. For Israel, fearing God was the foundation of a covenantal relationship.
It’s also about keeping his commands. These commands were given to the Israelites to guide the Israelites in living a life that reflects God’s commands. It connects to what Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love me, obey commandments.”
It’s also about listening. This can be hard to do, but it involves engaging with Scripture and being ready to respond to what God calls us to do. Historically, God spoke through the prophets, through leaders like Moses, and through the Law. For us today, we recognize that God speaks through Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and the ministry of Jesus. It connects to what James said in James 1:22: “…don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says…”
It’s also about serving Him. This involves worship, obedience, and obedience. It was a common practice in the ancient Near Eastern. For israel, it was different because it involves a personal relationship with God. Our service is not a ritual, it’s a lifestyle. It connects to what Jesus says in Matthew 20:28: “…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others…”
Overall, we need to cling to God. Stay committed and trust God with all parts of our being. We must hold to our faith in times of trouble and temptation.
God’s guidance can be quiet and loud all at the same time. How? It depends on how tuned in you are. God can be heard through Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. How we can tune in to them depends on how our relationship with God is? For me, it took a long while to discern the difference between my inner voice and God’s voice. As someone with anxiety, it was harder for me because there are often A LOT of thoughts running through my head at one time. It’s physically hard to hear God with all that static. So, how do I do it? Often, through prayer. I will ask God for guidance on a decision or tough situation that’s going on and pause. I sit in the silence. I wait. Often, the first thing that I hear is what I roll with. If I’m still concerned, I ask again and see what happens. Then, when I was working in youth ministry, I often prayed and then worshiped. I’d take a song from my Contemporary Christian playlist and hit random. The first song that played – solidified the prayer for me. It may sound goofy, but it’s what worked for me. I will also hear God in the “a-ha” moments when I study Scripture. I’ll find a revelation when I am studying/preparing these blogs and it will lead me down a rabbit-trail (and honestly different series.) Then the more I start to dig into things, the more that is revealed to me, the more I get to share with you. Through these ways, I’ve heard God speak. It’s the clear quiet voice for me. One that’s hard to hear above the chaos, but one that’s clear for me to react to.with urgency, faith, and confidence.
Read Matthew 22:37. Thank God for the loving relationship that He gifted to you with the sacrifice of His son. Ask Him what ways you are succeeding and failing at loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. See what ways you can do better or what things need to need to stop to make sure you are doing what God asks.
Check out the next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #284
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