07/23/2025
“The foundation of possessing God’s promises is loving and obeying Him.”
This week we studied Deuteronomy 11, where Moses exhorts the people of Israel before they cross into the Promised Land. He reminds them in vv.8–12 that the land they are entering is not like Egypt—where they labored for results—but a land cared for and watered by God Himself.
➡️ The point? God’s promises are sustained by His provision, not our performance.
But there’s a condition. In vv.13–17, God says, “If you will indeed obey My commandments… to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and soul… then I will send the rain… you may gather in your grain, wine, and oil.”
📖 This echoes Jesus’ words in John 14:15: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
The love-command (the Shema, v.13) isn’t just about emotion—it’s the heart posture that produces obedience in everyday life:
✔️ Loving God when you're tempted to idolize success
✔️ Honoring others when anger rises
✔️ Trusting God's way when resentment or self-reliance seems easier
Finally, in vv.18–25, we’re told to “lay up these words in your heart and soul”—to bind them, speak them, teach them, and write them. Why? Because formation precedes possession. You can't dwell in what you’re not formed to sustain.
➡️ Obedience rooted in love allows us to keep walking in God’s promises—long after the excitement of receiving them fades.
Let this week be a reminder:
Don’t just receive the promise—be formed to dwell in it.
🗺️ Read Deuteronomy 11:8-25 for yourself
