Monday, March 16, 2026

           Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible.  The name means “second law.”  The law was expounded and proclaimed to the people one more time before they would enter into the Promised Land that God had chosen to give them.  We can consider it one more reminder that God graciously gave to the people so they would remember both Him and His standards.  God knew that Israel would face two big challenges as they entered the new land.  The first challenge was their memory of Egypt—the idols, false gods and false religion of Egypt.  The second challenge would be the paganism and wickedness of the nations and people that occupied the land that God was giving Israel—the culture, corruption and idolatry of Canaan.  God gave them an important warning that still speaks to us today.  In Deuteronomy 11:16, the Bible says, “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.”  A few important lessons stand out for us to see.  We can be thankful when these reminders pop up for us today.
            First, there is the warning to “be careful.”  We proceed with caution in life because we all have an enemy.  We have an enemy named Satan.  He lives to make war against us.  We fight not against flesh and blood but against Him (Ephesians 6:12).  He presents us with deceptive temptations to yield to Him and to take his word above God’s Word.  Paul gave a similar warning, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).  The best way to guard ourselves against Satan is to be aware that he is real and that he does seek to tempt us and draw us away from the Lord.  We are born with a sin-nature so our natural inclination is to turn away from the Lord.  We are not to live paranoid but we are to live with our eyes and minds wide open so that the enemy does not deceive us.
            Second, the Bible says we can “be enticed to turn away.”  In the Garden of Eden, the serpent enticed Adam and Eve to distrust God and to sample the forbidden fruit.  Satan often presents us with choices that appeal to the natural desires and wishes we already have.  We are born with many normal and healthy desires—attention, love, approval, success, etc.  But Satan tempts us to satisfy those desires in ways that are wrong and sinful.  Satan will often try to cast doubt on God’s Word and character.  He employed that same strategy with the first temptation in the Garden of Eden.  He replayed that strategy in the wilderness when he tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness following our Lord’s baptism.  We must be consciously aware each day of the enemy’s efforts to entice us to turn from the Lord.
            Third, the Bible warns us against “other gods and bowing down to them.”  We might not be inclined to make an idol out of stone or metal and worship it in the backyard or basement.  But we can often make idols out of money, possessions, habits, lifestyles and practically anything that draws us away from the Lord.  An idol is little more than anything we choose to love, serve, follow and lean on more than the Lord.  An idol comes between God and us.  Technology can become an idol and so too can be the things that drain and draw our time away from the Lord.  Time often devoted to temporary and trivial pursuits could be redirected toward time with the Lord.  We face the same challenges today that ancient Israel faced—the tendency to lose sight of the Lord and replace Him with something else.
            One of the first steps toward sin is a dusty Bible.  We want to know and invest in God’s Word consistently and intentionally.  Sunday may be a highlight day for our time in God’s Word but it should not be the only time.  We want to cover the other six days with God’s Word as well.  We take Jesus’ warning in the Garden of Gethsemane to heart and pray faithfully so that we do not fall into temptation.  Israel needed to have some important truths and lessons repeated to them.  We do too.  We never want to lose sight of what God has done for us in Christ and His call for us to love and serve Him through all our days.  Choose the Lord every day and in every situation.  Lean upon Him and let Him be your strength and shield.  Have a great Monday!