Today's passage captures once again God's characteristics of justice and grace. He provides for His people in many ways: He gave them a land, taught them what was good and what was evil, and encouraged them by rewarding and prospering them when they obeyed. He also motivated them with punishment if they did not obey, providing the justice they needed. God's people could not be passive; they had work to do to honor God. They needed to remain focused on fulfilling God's commands and keep from temptations to follow other Gods. This is still true for God's people today.

We have a heavenly promised land to look forward to. God taught us right from wrong by His own example and teaching as one of us--Jesus. He continues to care for our needs, encourage us, and justly chosen us to encourage us to do what is good and right for Him and us. Just as it was in the beginning, through the entire Old and New Testament times, and throughout history, the choice between good and evil is ever-present. Daily, many times a day even, we have the opportunity to honor God, setting ourselves up for long-term success, or do evil, which God abhors and continues to damage us. God has stacked the deck in our favor, we simply need to follow through in faith, demonstrating our reliance on Him by being contrite and turning away from sin and following His leadership.

May the word of God continue to challenge, strengthen, correct, and sustain us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

[Deuteronomy 30.1-20]

1 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ Why was there a blessing and a curse? [vv. 1-2]

+ What are the results from abiding by God's commands? [vv. 3-10, 20]

+ What results from sin/disobedience? [vv. 17-18]

+ What did the people have to do to learn God's definition of right and wrong? [vv. 11-14]

+ Why were there two choices? [vv. 19-20]

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ How are you putting into action what you know from God's Word to be right, with all your heart and soul?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?