Week of March 8

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, the nourishment of the mind with His truth, the purifying of the imagination of His beauty, the opening of the heart to His love, the surrender of the will to His purpose” (William Temple). Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-1944, indeed encapsulates the heart of worship. Hardly anyone would think of Deuteronomy 4 as a devotional passage, but this is the case! In fact, the chapter has been called a “miniature sermon on the covenant and laws,” and, while it may seem at first glance not to be a great first choice for worshiping, it will open our eyes to true adoration! 

The chapter may be viewed as a whole, or it may be broken into various portions: putting God’s Law into practice (vv. 1-14); warning not to worship idols (15-31); and the uniqueness of God’s people (32-40). It is the latter portion of the chapter that catches my eye and heart and will be our focus today.

This remembrance has become a vital part of my own pilgrimage, especially when I face what may seem to be insurmountable heartbreaks. God calls us to remember His past goodness and deliverance. He does not want Israel (or us) to stop at this point. He next calls us to search over the entire earth and see if there is anywhere that such greatness has been encountered elsewhere. It is the depth of this type of inward reflection, based upon careful outward observation of God’s reach into our world, that so much modern worship lacks. This thought begs a question: Who is our God?

Faithful to His covenant love. Talk about loyalty to us, our God has been and remains ever loyal to His people. He invites Israel in this chapter to look back and remember His appearance at Sinai (4:33, 36), the exodus from Egypt (4:34, 37), and the conquest of Canaan (4:38). He then asks, “Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?” No one has ever heard of another mankind-conceived god attempting to do such things for humanity. This theological truth is important because it demonstrates one of the many ways God is unique and separate from all false gods. Israel would many times show disregard for such love, but Jesus’s coming to earth demonstrates that God always shows regard for His covenant mercy. We will learn more about this characteristic below. Even for all this care, Israel (we, too) showed a lack of genuine commitment. You are no doubt thinking that you did not want this sort of reminder to start the day! True, but let’s double back and read our focal verse.

Pours out His mercy. The text also tells us that God is merciful. This means that this God, who is described as being a “jealous” God and “consuming fire” (4:24), is also compassionate and tenderhearted. There have been many attempts to translate the idea: “heart,” “liver,” and bowels.” What is the point here? God wants us to know that His mercy is a superior love, rooted in a deep natural bond. Elsewhere this word is used of a mother’s love toward her nursing baby (Isaiah 49:15) and a father’s love (Psalm 103:13). When this word is used of God it means two things: the strong tie God has with those whom He calls His children (Psalm 103: 13), and a reflection of His unconditioned choice (grace!). God is gracious and merciful to whomever He chooses (Exodus 33:19). The wonder of it all is that God has chosen you and me! Let this awareness of God soak deeply into your soul each day. God has you in His heart, plans, and view.

I recall a time in my life when I began to set an inner “me alarm” that sounded whenever I stepped into a worship service. I began to look for any and every way I might be tempted to make that experience about “me.” Do you have a similar inner alert? Too often every creature comfort is offered to me when I enter churches—warm beverages, comfortable seating, high-energy music, colorful lighting, and even a feel-good message. However, true worship means that we enter God’s presence. Wow! This awareness sure changes things!

Here is a spiritual thought. Truly, from what Moses writes here, how could we ever escape God? He is ever before us and around us in all we see. Our first cry in worship, as Isaiah writes, should be “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8). This view of God causes us to recognize that our wickedness does not mix with His holiness. The music, the prayers, and the communication of the Word of God should be structured to remind us that we have been made the recipients of God’s “unfailing mercy.” We offer our brokenness to Him, allow that “consuming fire” to burn off the impurities within our hearts, then fall into the embrace of our loving Father, whose everlasting mercies are supplied freely.

1. God invites us to see His grandeur today. Use portions of this chapter to thank God for ways He has shown you His mercy in your past and in the present.

2. For Families: Take time to sit with your children and scroll through various photos of their life histories. Talk to them about the ways that God made their births possible, healed their bodies from bumps and bruises and illnesses. Speak about God’s presence and care as you remember together your family travels. Help them to see that God is to be worshiped in all we are and do throughout our lives. Discuss ways family members can show God their love and loyalty to Him. Then pray together as a family and thank God for being Lord over your family history, your present, and your future.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock