Deuteronomy Day 4
Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5.
One of the greatest challenges to the Israelites as they took over the Promised Land would have been the influence of the nations around them. They faced a constant temptation to try and fit in with the people around them by worshipping their Gods and to turn to the false gods around them when they felt as if God had let them down.
Deuteronomy 13:4
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
Moses reminded the Israelites that the God they (and we) serve is a jealous God. He alone wants to be on the throne of our hearts, and He isn’t content with us splitting our worship between Him and other people, things or gods. As the Israelites lived in the land of Canaan longer and longer, this would prove to be more and difficult. The more they were surrounded by the world around them, the harder it was to stay true to who God called them to be.
While we may not struggle with worshipping false gods, we have surely all felt the pressure to fit in with the world around us. Whether it be the clothes we wear, the music we listen to or the things in life that we desire, the world has a way of twisting our worship away from God and towards other things.
You may have found yourself in situations where you did something you knew to be wrong or you didn’t speak up about something you knew wasn’t right, all because of the people you were surrounded with. This is the effect of the world around us and the same effect that the Israelites were facing back in Deuteronomy. Moses encourages the Israelites to hold fast to God, the Greek word for hold fast means to literally hold something in front of you.
The way we fight against peer pressure is to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord in front of us. Two practical ways to hold fast to the Lord are to spend time with Him daily through reading the Bible and prayer, and to surround yourself with godly community that help you to hold fast to the Lord.
Questions to consider.
How have you seen people around you influence the things you value or desire in life, for better or for worse?
On a scale of 1-10, how well do you “hold fast” to the Lord? How can you grow in this area?
Ask God to search your heart today, where are you drawn to the wrong things? Ask God to align your heart with His today
One of the greatest challenges to the Israelites as they took over the Promised Land would have been the influence of the nations around them. They faced a constant temptation to try and fit in with the people around them by worshipping their Gods and to turn to the false gods around them when they felt as if God had let them down.
Deuteronomy 13:4
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
Moses reminded the Israelites that the God they (and we) serve is a jealous God. He alone wants to be on the throne of our hearts, and He isn’t content with us splitting our worship between Him and other people, things or gods. As the Israelites lived in the land of Canaan longer and longer, this would prove to be more and difficult. The more they were surrounded by the world around them, the harder it was to stay true to who God called them to be.
While we may not struggle with worshipping false gods, we have surely all felt the pressure to fit in with the world around us. Whether it be the clothes we wear, the music we listen to or the things in life that we desire, the world has a way of twisting our worship away from God and towards other things.
You may have found yourself in situations where you did something you knew to be wrong or you didn’t speak up about something you knew wasn’t right, all because of the people you were surrounded with. This is the effect of the world around us and the same effect that the Israelites were facing back in Deuteronomy. Moses encourages the Israelites to hold fast to God, the Greek word for hold fast means to literally hold something in front of you.
The way we fight against peer pressure is to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord in front of us. Two practical ways to hold fast to the Lord are to spend time with Him daily through reading the Bible and prayer, and to surround yourself with godly community that help you to hold fast to the Lord.
Questions to consider.
How have you seen people around you influence the things you value or desire in life, for better or for worse?
On a scale of 1-10, how well do you “hold fast” to the Lord? How can you grow in this area?
Ask God to search your heart today, where are you drawn to the wrong things? Ask God to align your heart with His today