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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 2 May 2025:
Deuteronomy 10:12–13 – And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?
God is not interested in mere ritual or external compliance—He desires wholehearted devotion. The call to fear, love, serve, and obey flows from a relationship grounded in God’s grace. These verses clarify that obedience is not burdensome but life-giving. For the Christian, this echoes Jesus’ command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. True discipleship is total surrender, not compartmentalized commitment.
Love and daily obedience go together.
Deuteronomy 10:14 – Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.
God’s ownership and majesty are absolute—everything belongs to Him. His power and dominion are unmatched, and yet He chooses to draw near to His people. Recognizing God’s authority should lead to reverent submission and worship. Christians are reminded here that the God who calls for their obedience is not small or limited, but the sovereign Creator of all, worthy of awe.
Deuteronomy 10:15–16 – Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.
The meritless love God has shown you should compel you to love and obedience. Surrender to God’s love. Stop being stubborn. This requires a change of heart. External religion is not enough—God wants inner transformation. For the Christian, this is a call to repentance, humility, and responsive love, made possible by the Spirit who writes God’s law on our hearts.
Deuteronomy 10:17–18 – For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
God’s greatness is revealed not only in His power but in His justice and compassion. He defends the weak, upholds righteousness, and loves the marginalized. This sets the tone for Christian ethics: to reflect God’s heart by loving and defending the vulnerable. A Christlike life is one that wields influence with humility and seeks justice with mercy.
Deuteronomy 10:19 – Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
With a grateful heart, love others the way God has loved you.
Empathy is a divine command. God’s people are called to remember their past and extend compassion to others who are in need or on the margins. Christians are reminded that their salvation story should produce empathy, not arrogance. As recipients of mercy, we are commanded to be merciful, especially to the outsider, the immigrant, the forgotten.
Deuteronomy 10:20–21 – You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.
These verses capture the essence of covenant loyalty. To fear, serve, and cling to God is to live in continual dependence on Him. He alone deserves our praise because He alone has saved us. Christians are exhorted to live lives that are anchored in worship and faithfulness—not clinging to comfort or success, but to God Himself, who has proven His greatness through deliverance and grace.
Deuteronomy 10:21 – He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.
Is the reality of God in your life so great that He is your praise? Is Jesus what you are excited about and talking about most?
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 2 May 2025: Examine your heart for areas of stubbornness, ask God to soften and change you, and intentionally show mercy and justice to someone in need, as an act of obedience to the God who loved you first.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 