Deuteronomy 28:13 Continued

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continued…

It is a grand blessing and yet a very simple requirement—to heed the commandments of the Lord, to be careful to observe them. Simple, but not easy. There are more than 600 commandments and instructions set forth in the Old Testament, and mankind has failed miserably in following and keeping them.

That is why He sent Jesus Christ, the One Who not only followed them perfectly but fulfilled every one of them. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18,

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

Jesus did His part. He fulfilled every jot and tittle of every law and commandment of God. Look again at what we are to do in Deuteronomy 28:13,

…if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

The word “heed” means: pay close attention to. The word, “hearken” which is used in the King James Version in Hebrew means: hear, listen, declare, obey, publish, and witness.

Pay Close Attention

We can’t possibly obey His commands unless we hear them and listen to what they are. We must pay close attention to them. Like a newlywed bride, she pays close attention to her groom and the newlywed groom pays close attention to his bride. The marriage is successful as this continues.

As Christians, we become successful in our spiritual walk as we pay close attention to Jesus Christ, and then according to His perfect timing that success manifests itself outward in the other parts of our lives.

The Holy Spirit in us fulfills the requirement set forth in Deuteronomy 28:13. As we walk, think and act according to the Spirit, His promises are fulfilled in us and through us. Romans 8:3-4 says,

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh… ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Live by the Spirit

If we’re not seeing the fulfillment of His promises in our lives, we must look inward to see if we are living according to the flesh or the Spirit. That includes our thoughts, attitudes and opinions toward God and toward others.

How do we live by the Spirit?

By paying close attention. Do we judge others or do we accept them? Do we look upon them with mercy, knowing we are also sinners saved by grace, or do we reject them?

We either live by the flesh or by the Spirit. We must pay close attention to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Spirit takes over as we reject thoughts of the flesh.

We can find common ground with anyone in the world, no matter how different they are from us or how distasteful their behavior is to us. That common ground is sin. We are all in need of grace.

And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Study Deuteronomy 28:13, pay close attention to the Spirit within you and change your stars.

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