Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, December 5, 2015

Today’s Scripture Promise:

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;” (Deuteronomy 6:1–14).

Today’s Observation:

God’s promise to His ancient people was simple: If you keep my words dear to your life and love me unreservedly, I will give you the peaceful land I promised to your forefathers. And we see in history that this was indeed the case. The first generation of emancipated Israelites chose to disrespect God and do their own thing, and as a consequence of their lack of faith, they all eventually died in the wilderness. Their children’s generation, however, finally got the memo, learned to love God and keep His commandments, and under the faithful leadership of Joshua, they inherited the Promised Land through many conquests, trials, and temptations.

We are living in a time just preceding the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to return to earth, deliver His people to eternal reward, and the ultimate destruction of sin. We, like those ancient peoples have a decision to make. Will we choose to embrace evil lifestyles, relationships, entertainments, and overall paradigms, or will we choose complete surrender to God’s will for us and faithfully teach our children the same? Our personal answers to this question will determine our eternal outcome.

Today’s Marching Orders:

Ask God today to help you make the obvious choice to follow Him.—L. David Harris (www.DavidWritesaLot.com)