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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 22 May 2025:
Deuteronomy 30:1-3 – And 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 has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.
Here is the heart of God on full display. After the terrifying curses of chapter 28 and the solemn warnings of chapter 29, chapter 30 opens with grace. Though God’s people would suffer deeply because of their disobedience, He never closed the door on repentance. Mercy would always meet them on the road back home. No matter how far you’ve fallen, you’re never too far to return. Repentance isn’t a loophole—it’s the main road back into God’s favor. God’s grace isn’t earned; it’s received through a broken and contrite heart.
- Joel 2:13 – “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful…”
- Lamentations 3:31-33 – “The Lord will not cast off forever… he does not afflict from his heart…”
- Luke 15:20 – “…while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion…”
God’s call is not just for individuals but for families. God wants to restore families and to bring them back together. God does not desire families to be scattered. Family is the building block of society and the primary schoolhouse for discipleship. Today’s culture makes it hard for families to stay united, but God has a heart for family, and His plan has always been generational. “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:6)
Deuteronomy 30:5 – “And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.”
God’s plan is that parents leave inheritance to godly children who build upon it for generations.
Deuteronomy 30:6 – “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart… so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Here’s the spiritual key to obedience: God must do a supernatural work in the heart. The old covenant exposed sin but could not cleanse it. Obedience must flow from love, and love must flow from a new heart. This verse points us forward to the New Covenant in Christ, where the Spirit of God indwells the believer, transforms the heart, and enables joyful obedience. The Gospel is not just about forgiveness—it’s about new life.
- Jeremiah 31:33 – “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.”
- Ezekiel 36:26-27 – “I will give you a new heart… and cause you to walk in my statutes…”
- Romans 2:29 – “Circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit…”
- Titus 3:5 – “…he saved us… by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…”
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 — “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither 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?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.”
God’s Word is not hidden or unreachable. It is near. It is personal. It is accessible. The Word of God is not only written in stone, but also meant to be inscribed on our hearts. God doesn’t expect us to climb to heaven or descend to the abyss to find Him. He came down to us. He put the Word in reach—and then put the Word in flesh. The command to obey is only possible through union with the Word, Jesus Christ. You do not need to search for answers to great mysteries, and you don’t need the confirmation of miraculous signs. Simply obey God’s word, and great truths will be revealed to you more and more each day. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit and His word. He is with you. You need nothing else. Simply obey.
- Romans 10:6–9 – Paul quotes these verses and applies them to Christ: “The word is near you… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord…”
- John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”
- Psalm 119:11 – “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Deuteronomy 30:11 – “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.”
“The Christian life is not difficult. The same Christ who lived a perfect, obedient, and sinless life stands prepared to live it again through you (Gal. 2:20). God’s will is not hard to discern. He has given us the Scriptures, which reveal His will, and He has placed His Holy Spirit within us to guide us to His perfect will in every situation (John 16:13). Our greatest challenge will be to wholly commit our lives to follow God’s will obediently as He reveals it. Moses gathered the Israelites around Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim before they were to enter the Promised Land. There, God described what they had to do in order to obey Him. God gave detailed instructions so there was no mistaking what was expected of them. Then God asked them to make a choice. If they chose to disobey His commands, they would face His wrath. If they chose to obey, they would receive His blessing. God’s Word comes to you in the same way. It is not too complex to understand. You don’t have to struggle to discern God’s will about adultery or forgiveness or honesty. God’s word is perfectly clear. The question is, how will you respond? Nowhere in Scripture did God excuse disobedience because His instructions were too vague or complex. Condemnation came because they knew exactly what God wanted them to do, yet they chose not to do it! God, through His Holy Spirit, will always give you sufficient revelation and strength to take the next step with Him. If you are uncertain about what God is asking of you, make sure that you are obeying all that you do know, and through your obedience, God’s next instruction will become clear.” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Deuteronomy 30:15–18 – “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil…”
This is a divine fork in the road. Obedience leads to life and blessing. Disobedience leads to death and destruction. The choice is not academic—it is existential. God is giving His people both warning and invitation: “Choose life.”
This echoes the wisdom literature of Scripture:
- Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
- Psalm 1:6 – “The LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
- Matthew 7:13–14 – “Enter by the narrow gate… the way is hard that leads to life…”
The choice remains urgent today. We don’t drift into life—we must choose it daily. And choosing life means choosing God—His Word, His ways, His Son.
Deuteronomy 30:19–20 – “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today… choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him…”
This is one of the most passionate pleas in the Bible. God isn’t a cold judge issuing terms—He is a loving Father urging His children to come home. Life is found not in merely keeping rules but in clinging to God in love.
To “choose life” means to:
- Love God – not just admire Him from a distance.
- Obey His voice – not just hear it on Sundays.
- Hold fast to Him – not let anything else become your source of identity, comfort, or security.
Takeaways and Lessons from Deuteronomy 30:
- God’s mercy always leaves room for repentance. No matter how far you’ve strayed, the path home is open.
- True obedience begins with heart transformation. We need God to do spiritual surgery on us.
- God’s Word is near and accessible. We don’t have to search the heavens—we have Christ and the Scriptures.
- Choosing life is an active, ongoing decision. Don’t just admire God’s way—walk in it.
The Gospel fulfills this chapter. Jesus is the Word made flesh, the circumciser of hearts, and the life-giver to all who return.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 22 May 2025: “Choose Life.” Today, spend 30 minutes reflecting on the choices you are making. Where are you walking in life? Where are you flirting with death? Take time to confess, repent, and receive afresh the grace that Jesus freely gives.
Step 1 – Write out three “ways of death” in your life (habits, mindsets, relationships).
Step 2 – Next to each, write what it would look like to “choose life” in that area.
Step 3 – Pray Deuteronomy 30:6, asking God to circumcise your heart today.
Finish with a commitment: “I choose life, Lord. I choose You.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 