Ep 956 – Deuteronomy 11:13-25

Wholehearted obedience to God flows from a heart of love for God. Without love, obedience becomes nothing more than legalism, a heartless attempt to do what God requires – out of fear rather than faith. Instead of viewing God as a loving Father who has our best interest in mind, we begin to view Him as a taskmaster who demands that we earn His favor through self-empowered adherence to His commands. But heartless obedience is doomed to failure. And that is what Moses attempts to warn the Israelites about in Deuteronomy 11:13-25. God wanted to bless them. But it was going to require that they obey Him. Yet God was not interested in an obedience motivated by fear and driven by a desire to earn good things from God while avoiding His bad side. No, God wanted the Israelites to obey Him because they loved Him. Their adherence to His commands was to be driven by their appreciation for His goodness and grace.