Contemplative Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (New International Version)

¹² And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

Moses is speaking to the people of God. He summarizes pages of commands with these five phrases:

1. fear the Lord
2. walk in his ways
3. love him
4. serve the Lord
5. observe the Lord’s commands

That isn’t a long list. It is certainly short enough to commit to memory.

Now how about doing it? Oh, that is a little harder. Especially consider the longer version of 4.

to serve the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul

How do you do that one? The tough part for me is “with all your heart and with all your soul.” I don’t know that I’ve ever done anything with all my heart and all my soul. How would I know if I had done that? I have worked hard at some things in my life; I’ve been exhausted after working at things. Does that mean I put all my heart and soul into them? I don’t know. Perhaps I am misreading the words.

Whatever the case may be, what God asked of His people on this occasion in Deuteronomy, what He asks of us today – these things are not complicated. They are difficult.

God, help me to do what you ask of me.