Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:1-20 (NKJV)
1 “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing
and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all
the nations where the LORD your God drives you, 2 and you return to the LORD
your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and
your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the LORD your
God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather
you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If
any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the
LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the
LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you
shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your
descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your
soul, that you may live. 7 Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on
your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you will
again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command
you today. 9 The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your
hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the
produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for
good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the LORD
your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this
Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and
with all your soul.
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for
you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will
ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for
us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very
near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that
I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep
His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and
multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to
possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn
away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that
you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you
cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as
witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants
may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice,
and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;
and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Devotion
“This commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor
is it far off.” Man does not have to chase after strange gods to find meaning
or sustenance in life. Nor does he need to climb to Heaven, nor explore the
depths. Any efforts to do these things are vain and useless. The Lord has
already provided all good things by His Word.
God has done all things necessary to save His faithful people from slavery to
sin, death, and the devil. They are blessed simply through the promises of His
Word that all has been accomplished for them by His mighty power. The reality
of these blessings is as close as their hearts and minds, which are able to
cling to these holy Words by the power of His own Spirit at work in them.
The historical events of Israel will always be first and foremost an
illustration of the blessings that all nations are offered in Jesus Christ. No
one throughout history needs to sell themselves into service of oppressive
paganism, or waste his efforts on vain quests for enlightenment or exaltation.
The Maker of all things visible and invisible reveals Himself in the simple
intimacy of His Words, as they are passed down and faithfully taught by His
faithful people to those who will hear. And now that Jesus Christ has fulfilled
the promises of those Words, we continue to make known these blessings, which
are found only in the holy Name of Jesus Christ, the Crucified.
We pray: Lord, open our lips, that our mouths might always declare the profound
blessings that come through your Word, in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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