Read Deuteronomy 5:23 – 33

Every now and then when you are engaged in a conversation with another person, they let their guard down and you actually hear them speaking from their heart. At that vital moment there’s something in their persona and body language, something in their tone that allows you, for that fleeting moment, to glimpse into their heart.  And O, what a joy it is to see beyond the façade into the real person.

As Moses records the Words of God to the people and vice versa we catch a glimpse of the heart of God. He’s not letting his guard down but deliberately revealing Himself to us. Look at verse 29

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and

their children forever!

Can you hear the deep desire in God’s heart, the longing and yearning? God wants to bless His people. He wants to draw near to them but it can not happen while sin forms a barrier.

Our God is so holy, so righteous that He weeps and longs for His children to fear Him and to walk in righteous paths. He desperately wants us to be all that he created us to be.

When we sin, God is grieved. God is grieved at the sinful state of the world and the unrighteousness that abounds. God is grieved when we deliberately choose to do what we know he has expressly told us NOT to do. Conversely, God is also grieved when we don’t do the things that he has expressly told us to be doing.  If you can imagine the grief and pain in a father’s heart when his son is caught stealing, you are catching a faint glimmer of the grief in our holy God’s heart. God passionately wants you to love Him so much that you willingly do things, live life and even think about things His way, not your own way or in the ways of the world.

God loves you so much that he wants the absolute very best for you and that is for you to walk in paths of holiness.

Prayer:

¥ Pray that you would understand more of the depth of God’s love for you and His longing for you to be holy. Pray this for the people in your congregation.

¥ Pray that God would allow the believers in China to continue to walk in paths of holiness even though they are persecuted and harassed for their faith. Pray that many non believers would see Christ through this Spirit driven holiness.

¥ Pray that God would raise up a spirit of generosity among us as we serve and worship together.