Why Following God is Simpler Than You Think (Deuteronomy 26-34)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever felt like you’re a terrible Christian and that following God is an impossible task?

If so, take heart and lean into Deuteronomy 30. As this book draws to a close and we see the death of Moses, the first ten verses of this chapter emphasize God’s promise to his people. Verse 6 says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.”

As Duane Christensen writes, “The sense of the text in 30:6–10 may be summarized in the circular sentence: ‘When you return, God will return you!’”^[1] In fact, the Hebrew word translated return shows up seven times in this passage. God is clearly making a point to his people that he is a God who is eager to restore relationship with his people.

God wants to see his people prosper. Verses 9-10 say, ⁹ “Indeed, the Lord will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your ancestors, ¹⁰ when you obey the Lord your God by keeping his commands and statutes that are written in this book of the law and return to him with all your heart and all your soul.”

And contrary to what many think, following God isn’t unattainable. Quite the opposite. In verses 11-14, we read:

¹¹ “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. ¹² It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ ¹³ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ ¹⁴ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it. 

The imagery here is spectacular. “The commandment is not inaccessible, it does not require some specially qualified person to make it all clear. In short, the law was specifically designed for our instruction in daily living and not to be part of the mystery of God that we could not approach and that was retained ‘in the heavens.’”^[2] We can know God’s will. We can live as he wants us to live. But we have a choice. Verse 15 says his people have the options between “life and prosperity, death and adversity.” The decision is up to them. Follow God, and the people will live. Turn from him, and they will die. God then issues this challenge that has ongoing implications today:

⁹ I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰ love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Despite issuing over 600 specific laws to his people in the Old Testament, the essence of following God is very simple and comes down to choosing to love God and love others. When we serve God with a heart of love, we discover the reality of 1 John 5:3, that his commandments are not a burden. They are a delight. If this is not your mindset today, ask God to help you change.

A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | Thank you that your laws are not a burden and that you gave them to me for my provision and protection.

Release | I release my resistance to your work within me. Remove the layers of doubt, fear, and disobedience that have kept me from fully embracing your commandments and the life you've called me to.

Ask | Help me delight in your instruction, as Psalm 1 says. Increase my enjoyment of you. I ask for a heart that is tender to your touch and a spirit eager to follow your commands. Help me to internalize your word so deeply that it becomes the guide to my every action.

Yield | I yield to your word. Let it be my joy to live it out as the everyday expression of my love for you.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

So, how do we apply the words of Deuteronomy 30 to our lives today? The Apostle Paul gives us a roadmap when he quotes from this passage in Romans 10:6-9 and says:

⁶ But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down ⁷ or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. ⁸ On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

As Christensen writes, “Paul, and Jesus before him, understood the message of Deuteronomy, which declares that the heart of the matter is found in two commandments: to love God and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. God’s word is not esoteric, hidden away in heaven or beyond the sea, to be apprehended only at great cost and human effort.”^[3] Salvation comes through Jesus, and it is for everyone.

While following Jesus is costly, it is also simple. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, he serves as our perfect mediator—the godman. Contrary to what we’re tempted to believe, he isn’t distant and is near to those who seek him with their whole hearts.  

*Unless you specify otherwise, comments and questions you ask may be featured in upcoming podcast episodes.

^[1] Duane L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 21:10–34:12, vol. 6B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 735.

^[2] Duane L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 21:10–34:12, vol. 6B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 743.

^[3] Duane L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 21:10–34:12, vol. 6B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 743–744.