Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 4:1,2

I like to cook, but I don’t always like to follow recipes. Sometimes, I leave out a key ingredient or substitute a more common one. Other times, I add a twist. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it’s a disaster.

Adding our own flavor and interpretation to God’s Word, substituting an idea that’s more common today, taking away things we find unappetizing, or adding our own twist to make it more palatable is a recipe for disaster. Taking away something can take away the comfort we have in Jesus! Adding something can add a burden of guilt and uncertainty.

That’s why God’s Word comes with a warning—do not add or subtract. That would be a recipe for disaster. He gives this warning because he wants what’s best for us. “Just trust me!” God says. Trust the words that God has spoken. Trust that he knows what is best for us because he designed and created us to live as his children. Trust that he knows how best to bless and meet our spiritual needs because he became human, walked in our shoes, and then died to save us. Trust his royal decree that declares us forgiven and made holy because of Jesus.

Rather than being cooks in the kitchen trying to concoct our own philosophies and teachings, God invites us to feast on his every word. He invites us to sit at his table and feeds us all that our souls need. He feeds us free of charge because Jesus has picked up the tab. We savor every morsel of God’s Word because it nourishes our souls and satisfies us like nothing else. We follow him with a heart that trusts every word that he speaks.

Prayer: