by Ronnie Hewitt
“Love the LORD your God and keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always…Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” (Deuteronomy 11:1, 18)
God and Satan each have a plan to capture man’s devotion. The desire for intimacy is placed and nurtured in the deepest longings of your heart by God Himself. Israel had strong reasons to believe and obey His commands. They had witnessed a parade of miracles that demonstrated His power, love, and care for them. Incredibly, they still had trouble remaining faithful. Because few of us have seen such dramatic displays of power and miracles, it may seem even more difficult for us to obey God and remain faithful. But, we do have His written word, the record of His acts throughout history with mankind. Reading God’s Word gives us a panoramic view, if you will, of both the miracles Israel saw and others they didn’t see. The lessons from the past, the instructions for the present, and the glimpses into the future give us many new opportunities to strengthen our faith in God.
The enemy’s strategy is just the opposite, he wants to capture our hearts in order to disconnect us from the heart of God. He greatest tactic is to get us to focus on our fears and our wounds, which causes us to question the goodness of God. In doing so, he steals our innocence and assaults our hearts. This is exactly why God told the Israelites, as well as us, to “fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…” There is a battle being waged; but, it is a battle that belongs to the Lord. It is part of a war that has already been won. If we will do what the Lord has commanded, the victory is ours. There is more of the story to be written. What will your faith add to it? Jesus has come that you will have life to the fullest, in union with Him.