WEDNESDAY: HOLD ON, I’M COMING!

Aug 31, 2022
2 min read

Lord, when I feel distant, I am. You want me to step out on faith, and to do this I must move closer to You and hold fast to You. I’m holding on, and I’m coming!

Deuteronomy 10:20-11:1

Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.

To fear the Lord is not to be afraid of Him in the way we normally think of fear. We usually think of moving away from someone we are afraid of; the Lord desires us to move closer to Him because He loves us.

The fear of the Lord consists of holding fast to Him, holding tight and not letting go. It involves having so much respect for Him that I always want to keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws, and His commands. In doing these, I will follow the obligations He gives me, the prescribed limits He sets, His judgements and decisions, and His code of wisdom.

Through their obedience, the Israelites’ ancestors went down to Egypt, yet despite their suffering and bondage, God made them as numerous as stars in the sky. God desires me to know that my obedience, which is by faith and because of my love for Him, is blessed with the hope of heaven and the peace of God in my heart.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: I’m usually anxious to find out what God has for me next. The Israelites were about to enter a daunting quest: conquering the land of Canaan. The only thing to guide them was their faith in God. When I act in faith, it’s a scary place, yet I feel empowered by God, especially when I’m assured this is the place God wants me to be.

Because of what God has done in my life and what He is about to do, I praise Him. He is the One I praise; He performed great and awesome wonders I saw with my own eyes. When He heals my heart by bringing forgiveness and peace, I give Him praise; I know He can do this again in each of my relationships. I must understand and follow His requirements, His decrees, His laws, and His commands in order to know what He requires of me. Lord, please open my mind and heart to receive Your instructions and Your unconditional love, which grows my faith!

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman