“These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord has given you… You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations served their gods, on the high mountains and the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods… You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose to put his name… There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and contribution[s], [and] offerings… And there you shall rejoice… in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
“You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes… And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake… Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”
“If a prophet… arises among you and… says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. 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.” Deuteronomy 12:1-8,18b,32; 13:1-4
Every law God laid out was for the good of His people. If their worship was off, so would be their living. Blessing, meaning, and fruitfulness in all they undertook was determined by the rightness of their devotion. In every do and give and decide, who occupied the throne of their hearts had foremost bearing.
As we set out on our days, are we more concerned with the people and tasks at hand, or the One who has called us to the interaction or industry? Unless we get the place and person of worship right, no effort will bring honor to the Almighty or lasting joy. The enemy will do all he can to deter godly thinking and priorities, and to sway our allegiances. Whose voice will we heed?
Saying what we want will not make significant momentum or change. We must seek the Lord and His place and way. We must remove idols and maintain Him as first love and supreme King. We must bring Him the all He deserves. We must be careful, and take care. (Revelation 2:4-5)
What gods are vying for the throne of our hearts? Do we recognize them through our emotional attachment and misguided justification? God can expose them and give strength to put them away. What part of ourselves have we withheld from God’s scrutiny, what part of our treasure have we hoarded? Upon correction of affection and reverence, divine joy is given!
Lord, in all I undertake, may I rejoice in and worship You as You are worthy.
As the rain and snow 