Today's reading was so rich. I love Deuteronomy 4 especially...
Here's a couple key thoughts that spoke to me today:
In Deut 4:2 we are reminded not to add anything to the Word of God. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."
We live in a society today that is trying to altar and chop up the Word of God, to make it more relevant to and suitable to today's modern thought and ideas... but this is dangerous. We cannot altar the Word of God.
In the Great Controversy we are told: "But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in its support." p. 595
The second thought that I was reminded of is that God is a jealous God. (Due 4:24) In another place the Bible says, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:2)
I use to wonder, in earlier years, why God tells us not to be jealous, and yet HE is a jealous God?!
Then I recognized the significance. You see, when we commit to give our heart to God, He has exclusive rights over us—rights that He will not share with another. Just like when we get married and our husband or wife is jealous for our exclusive affection, God says, “You are mine! I will not share you with other lovers or with other gods! I will fight for you because I love you.”
And here's the important part, because:
The degree of His holy jealousy shows the degree of His holy love; the greater the love, the greater the anger when that love is violated.
I'm so thankful God is jealous over my affection. It shows me that He really loves me. He loves me enough to fight for me, to move heaven and earth to save me! He is not a passive God. And as this chapter reminds us, "What great nation is there whose God is near like ours? Who has seen the fire and heard His voice and still lived." Truly He is worthy of our jealous affection as well.
Tomorrow's Reading: Deut 6-7 and Psalm 33
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