Based on the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues; w1d1
Deuteronomy 30:17-20; Ezekiel 33:10-11 (SOAP: Deut 30:17-18)
“But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
Deuteronomy 30:17-18
Obedience isn’t always easy. Even for the most compliant child, there are times when our way simply seems easier or better – and we choose it over what we know is right. Admittedly, it is often without giving the choice much thought – though I would venture to say there are times when we put much thought into the choices – and yet still choose our own way over God’s.
Cheering One Another On
Our journey today takes us back to the days of Moses and the Israelites and a warning they received from Moses to choose obedience to God over disobedience. Moses isn’t teaching them something new but reminding them of their commitment to follow God and not turn aside to worship and serve other gods. – Now, maybe it’s because I was a cheerleader in high school, and it’s still part of my chemistry, but I couldn’t help noticing how Moses cheered the people on toward the path God longed for them to choose. He urges them to “Choose life”… (GO-ISRAEL-GO!)… He calls them to “Love the Lord their God”...(GO-ISRAEL-GO!)… He reminds them to play hard and well, saying, “Obey the Lord and be loyal to Him”…(GO-ISRAEL-GO!). Moses wants the Israelites to succeed, so He cheers them on to victory.
But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.
Hebrews 3:13
When I cheered in high school, it was for our team to win the game, but what Moses cheered for was a matter of life and death. The people were told that the reward of obedience is life and the curse of disobedience is death. One leads to crossing the Jordan into the land that God had promised them, and the other leads to the loss of the life they would otherwise experience. While Moses strongly urges the people of God to obey and not turn away, the choice was ultimately theirs then, and it is still ours today, as we see in Acts 5:29 – where Peter and the other apostles faced the choice to obey God or man, the resolved united reply was: “We must obey God rather than men.” Jesus, like Moses, had obviously cheered His disciples on to victory, teaching them to choose life1, to love God2, and to be loyal to Him3.
God Wants Us to Succeed
God wants His people to be victorious. This is why He sends repeated calls through His messengers for His people to choose life over death by choosing obedience over disobedience. He warns us to be vigilant, like a watchman guarding the city. When the watchman knows the people are in jeopardy, he gets the message out – he sounds the alarm. If the people don’t listen, they are responsible for what happens to them, but if the watchman sits back and does nothing, Ezekiel warns that the watchman is the one responsible for the outcome.4
The Watchman’s Message
As exciting as the cheers of Moses are in Deuteronomy, my pulse races a little more when I walk through the words of Ezekiel chapter thirty-three and realize how God clearly wants His people to succeed. I see and hear the evidence of this in the blessing of “life” that is offered to those who love God and walk in obedience to Him. I also hear it in God’s declaration through Ezekiel to His rebellious people: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?”
10 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ 11 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
Ezekiel 33:10-11
God is love, and His love is richly evident in the way He relentlessly pursues His people – particularly His rebellious people – to lead them out of hiding, to rescue them, and to offer them hope and a future with Him forever.
Consider these examples5:
God pursued Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3)
God pursued Hagar when she ran away from her problems. (Genesis 16)
God pursued Elijah when he ran from Ahab and Jezebel. (1 Kings 18-19)
God pursued Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)
And God pursues us.
Even when I was rebellious, even when sin was clearly my choice, even when I hid behind closed doors – God faithfully pursued me, pulled me out of more than one pit, drew me back to Him and changed me from the inside-out. 🦋
Prayer of Response to the Journey
Father, Thank You for pursuing me, for never letting me go, and for calling out to me and showing me the way. Thank You for hearing my prayer and not turning away from my voice. Thank You for teaching me Your way and changing me from the inside-out! I am forever and always gratefully Yours. Please, Lord, let me be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true – alerting others to follow you. ~Amen
Reflection on the Journey
If others were to look at your life, would they say that you are following the world or Jesus? Why?
The More We Know
For more insight on today’s journey, read the LGG Blog
Do you know the God who pursues? If not, I invite you to read “Know These Truths” so that you might share in His amazing love and grace.
Me From the Inside Out 