Teach Me O Lord To Obey

Deuteronomy 10:12-13---And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

God only asks us that which is for our good. In this passage, He asks us five things for our good. The first is to fear the LORD our God. The fear of the LORD causes us to distance ourselves from evil. To fear God means to know He is just and will punish all rebellion against His goodness. Then He asks us to walk in His ways. What are the ways of God? His attributes define the ways of God: justice, mercy, truth, righteousness, grace, love, holiness, and goodness. When we walk in His ways, we are in His likeness. Walking in His ways has lasting results. It is the best for us and for those whom we come in contact. Next is to love Him. We love Him because He first loved us. When that is done, all is done. To love Him means the other instructions are carried out as well. God wants a loving relationship with you, not just obedience to rituals. Fourth is to serve the LORD our God with all our heart and soul. If we love Him we will want to express that love. Love that is not expressed in service is insincere. Does your wholehearted service express your love relationship with God? Last is to observe His commands. It's not because God is a dictator, but because His commands are instructions of love that show you the best way to go. The two great commands are to love God with our all, and our neighbor as our self.