Written ~ 09-05-2023
Deuteronomy 13:1-4
“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the signs and miracles occur. If they say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’ – gods you have not known before – do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love Him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the LORD your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice and cling to Him.”
As believers, we need to be very wary of those who try to pull your attention off of the Lord. When you follow Jesus as Lord and Savior and you’re beginning to understand more and more what the Scriptures say about the relationship you have with Him, be on the lookout for things that take your eyes off of Him. If you are careless with your understanding of who God is, you could fall back into a disobedient lifestyle and pull away from the presence of God. In verse 13:3 it says,
“…The Lord your God is testing you..”
Let’s not get the word testing confused with temptation. In James 1:13 it says,
“And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.”
So if we encounter someone who is quite convincing with their eloquent words, signs, wonders, miracles and anything else that grabs your attention, you must measure it with the Word of God. Not all of those who come in the name of the Lord have your best interest at heart. If we allow ourselves to get sucked into teachings that sound good, they sound like they come from the Bible but don’t focus on the truth of who Jesus Christ is, then run! There are so many temptations, too many to count, that can draw our eyes off of the Lord. Our verses for today talk about how God may allow temptations to cross our paths, some more difficult than others, in order to test our loyalty and love for Him alone. Anybody who comes into your life and asks you to look into “worshiping other gods,” please recognize quickly what they are asking you to do. Here’s an example, what if you are habitually looking at your horoscope each day to see what lies ahead for you. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just innocent fun, right?Absolutely NO. Seeking advise from your horoscope sign is a form of worship. In the Old Testament days people worshiped the sun, the moon and the stars and they were greatly punished for worshiping anything other than God Himself. The worship of the gods of the sun, moon and stars is related to witchcraft and sorcery. Does that sound innocent to you? Reading a horoscope is just one example, but if the temptation is there, to look at it, to think about it, to even adhere to what it says… God is looking at your heart and wondering where your loyalty lies. Are you seeking the wisdom of the Lord or are you seeking the wisdom of witchcraft?
Since all of us can be tempted with a various array of things, this might be a good time to identify those things that take your focus off of the Lord. As we identify those things that tempt us, maybe then we can see if we are failing God’s test or if we are passing with flying colors! And with any test, how well are you studying? Are you studying the right materials? Are you listening to the right Teacher? Or, are you seeking for answers elsewhere?
Let’s look at verse 13:4, I absolutely love this verse!!
“Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.”
- Serve Him
- Fear Him
- Obey Him
- Listen to Him
- Cling to Him
In just this one verse we have five different ways to keep our focus on the Lord. We should be so busy following each of those points that we don’t have time to be tempted by the things of the world. By serving the Lord in everything we do, keeps our hearts honoring Him with our works. Fearing the Lord means we know there is consequence and discipline when we allow ourselves to disobey His Word. That’s why we must obey the Word of God and how do we obey it? By reading the Scriptures, knowing it and thinking about everything you have read. This will help you listen to what God is trying to say to your heart, to your mind, to your very soul. After that, all we have left to do is absolutely cling to His every Word and also in our despair we cling to Him for refuge, safety, and comfort.
Do you love the Lord with all your heart and soul like verse 13:3 says? Or, do you listen to the world and get all caught up with the temptations it has to offer? Have the Lord test your heart today.
Father I pray that the temptations of this world would not be of any interest to me. I pray that when You test me, I will pass with flying colors. I pray wholeheartedly that I learn all I can from Your Word and to have an abundance of understanding, wisdom and boldness to proclaim the lessons I have learned. I love You Lord and I look to You alone.
~AMEN~