Scripture: Exodus 34:10-`4
10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. 11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you."

Observations:
At one of the low points in Israel's relationship with God, after they had totally and defiantly rejected God's direct instructions not to worship other gods, God took the initiative to restore the broken relationship, not because they deserved it but because of His grace. With that grace came a new promise of success and His favor IF they would "listen carefully to everything I command you today" vs. 11. In God's vocabulary the words "listen" and "obey" are synonymous making obedience to His Word the only acceptable response.

Application:
Seems kind of strict doesn't it? But let's not forget why God is so passionate about us obeying His commands. Probably for the same reason we are with our kids- we genuinely want what's best for them and we simply just see and understand more than they do. God desires obedience not for His good but for ours because He understands more than we ever will that our lives only works the way He intended them to only as we live in relationship with Him. Notice again the point of God's "strict" commands in vs. 14. "for the Lord...is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you." We always do well to remind ourselves that listening to and obeying God's commands are always the keys to our own success in that they will always lead us into relationship with God.

Prayer:
Father, remind me today how finite my understanding is and how infinite your wisdom, grace, and love for me really is. Teach me to humble myself and depend on your instruction to lead me into a closer relationship with you. In Jesus name. Amen

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