Day 4
Day 4 - Circumcised heart
(21/07/2008) - (25/07/2008)Prepare
Speak out the qualities of God in praise to him: ‘Lord, you are loving, kind, gentle...’Read
Deuteronomy 10:12-22Explore
We know what it means to love our girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife. We know the kinds of love that we have for our children, and for our relatives and friends. But what about our love for God? How are we to know what that means?
Love for God is at the heart of Deuteronomy and, indeed, at the heart of the teaching of Jesus. Here we find that it is inseparable from action. It is ‘to walk in obedience to him’, and so love for God and keeping his Laws are seamlessly woven together (vs 12,13). We love him because of his greatness and his generosity towards his people (vs 14,15,17,18,21,22), and our response is to be like him. We love like God as we love the asylum seeker (v 19), and seek to help those who live in poverty.
God’s people are not just to be known by outward signs, whether by circumcision, baptism, or any other ritual or symbol. The command to ‘circumcise your hearts’ (v 16, picked up by Paul in Romans 2:25–29) is at the heart of love for God. God’s people are to be recognised by their distinctive lifestyle, by their love for others, which in turn shows their love for God.
Respond
Paul says that this ‘circumcision of the heart’ is the work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:29). Have you been striving to live a good life on your own? If so, you need to invite the Holy Spirit into your life to change you from within. Only with his help will we be able ‘to walk in obedience to him’ (v 12).
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