https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Deuteronomy+13
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 5 May 2025:
Deuteronomy 13:1-4 — “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder… and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’… you shall not listen…. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”
Today, more than any other time in history, people are being bombarded with “evidence” to counter the word of God, all false evidence, but enough to lead many astray. Are you firm in your faith?
Miracles and persuasive words are not enough to validate truth—God’s Word is the standard. Even if signs or visions seem impressive, if they lead us away from faithfulness to God, they must be rejected. God may allow such situations as a test of loyalty. For Christians, this means clinging to the truth of Scripture above feelings, experiences, or personalities. Love for God must be discerning and rooted in truth, not emotional or sensational.
Deuteronomy 13:4, 5 — “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him…. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”
Obedience to God means removing those things in your life that dishonor Him. Does your entertainment honor God? Does what you read, watch, and listen to strengthen your purity or hinder it? Are your best friends Christ followers working with you to glorify God? “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty you will be built up, if you remove injustice far from your tents, if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly. He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” Make God your absolute treasure; purge the evil from your life; and live as a powerful Christian. (Job 22:21-30)
Loyalty to God is expressed in obedience, reverence, service, and tenacious devotion. “Hold fast to Him” implies personal, passionate, and enduring clinging to God, especially when others try to pull you away. For the Christian, this is a call to unshakable discipleship—walking in God’s ways with integrity, even when it’s unpopular or costs something. Christlikeness is formed in loyalty through trials.
Deuteronomy 13:6, 8 – “If your brother… or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend… entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’… you shall not yield to him or listen to him.”
Even the closest relationships must not come before God. The text shows how seductive and painful the pull of idolatry can be, even from those we love most. God requires ultimate loyalty. For Christians, this doesn’t mean rejecting loved ones, but it does mean refusing to compromise your faith out of fear of relational tension. Loving God first enables you to love others rightly and truthfully.
Deuteronomy 13:11 – “And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.”
Punishment is not just for the person being punished but also for others in order that they may learn and not do the same thing the one who was punished did. Part of wisdom is understanding what you haven’t experienced – learning from observing consequences (good and bad) in the lives of others. The accounts in the Bible were provided that we might gain wisdom – “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) But note, that ultimately, the Bible is not just pointing us to instructions for better living but to the One “on whom” all outcomes rest, “on whom” we have faith and hope. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) The whole Bible points to Jesus.
Deuteronomy 13:12–14 – “If you hear in one of your cities… that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants… then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently.”
False teaching spreads subtly and must be carefully investigated and dealt with. The call here is not to paranoia, but to vigilance and discernment. Christians must be careful not to tolerate spiritual compromise or let error go unchecked, especially in their homes, churches, or communities. Truth must be protected because lives—and souls—are at stake.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 5 May 2025: Cling to God’s Word as your ultimate authority—above feelings, relationships, or cultural voices—and actively remove any influence, no matter how persuasive or personal, that leads you away from Him. This means intentionally filtering what you listen to, read, and allow into your heart. Evaluate it through the lens of Scripture. If something—even from someone you love—conflicts with God’s truth, choose loyalty to Christ. Christlikeness is cultivated through unwavering devotion to God’s voice above all others.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 