CALLED TO LOVE AND SERVE

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Today we are going to be reminded of the unending love of Almighty God as we listen to a section of Moses’ message to the Israelites who were being called into a relationship of faithfulness and blessing. We are going to walk through the larger teaching of Deuteronomy 10:12-22 one section at a time, as we prayerfully ask the Lord to make his word known in our hearts and minds through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Reading Deuteronomy 10:12-13:

12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, 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? 

God’s Will

Here in this opening section of this message we are invited into the very mind and will of the Lord. The children of God are asked to consider God’s most pressing desire for those who will be called by his name. We can summarize the will of God this way:

Ask of you

It is amazing to think that our Creator entreats his creation, asking us to choose to act in ways that are in alignment with the Lord’s ways. We are created in the image of God and as such have a will of our own. The Lord does not force us to listen to and obey his word, instead the Lord makes his request and leaves the choice up to his creation. 

Fear the Lord your God

The Hebrew word for “fear” comes from the root word, “יָרֵא yārēʾ”.

This word describes a range of emotional responses that are consistent with someone of lesser status being awed, impressed, amazed, or frightened by someone of a much greater status. In this case, the Lord God is calling his people to stand in awe of the Lord, to honor the Lord, to show God that we understand our place as part of creation. 

To fear the Lord is a blessing, not a curse. When we know that there is a God in heaven and that we are not him, we are able to live this life with real perspective that helps us make sense of that which is otherwise beyond our ability and control. 

Walk in obedience to him

What do you think of when you hear the call to obey the Lord? 

Does this call to follow the Lord’s command draw out of you a rebellious spirit or do you desire to obey because you know that God’s commands are good and that we bless God with our obedience?

For those who are seeking to honor the Lord, obedience to his command is a joy and not a curse. If we are seeking to honor ourselves and to gratify our own desires first and foremost, we will recoil at the idea of obedience to the Lord. 

Love him

The root for the Hebrew word used to describe this expression of affection for the Lord your God is that of, “אָהַב ʾāhaḇ”. This term is most often translated using the English word, “love”. This is a good way to reference this call to choose to express devotion and affection for the Lord but we are often confused by the fact that we supposedly “love” many things and people that are nothing close to the Lord. 

We need to differentiate between love for God and love for ice cream or a new car. Additionally, our version of love can be said to run hot or cold depending on the way others meet our expectations. 

We are not being called to add the Lord our God to our long list of likes and affections. As we hear in the message of the 10 commandments, the Lord our God is to be our number one object of devotion, worship, and submission. Nothing else can be allowed to rival our love for the Lord else it becomes an idol or another form of sinful covetousness. 

Serve the Lord with all you are

Over and over, we hear a call to serve the Lord in the message of the scriptures. This is not new or unique, but the order of God’s calling to his people is worth noting. 

Almost all of the Lord’s commands and callings to obey are proceeded by an expression of love. Before the commandments are given in Exodus chapter 20, we hear the following expression of love from God toward his people:

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 

4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

(Exodus 19:3-8 NIV11)

Flows From

The Lord made it clear that before the people of Israel even heard the commands of the Lord, he showed them his love in a number of amazing and tangible ways. The Lord called these people his special treasure, his kingdom of priests, and a holy people. 

They did not earn this blessing, the Lord declared them to be special, holy, and worthy of service before they had a chance to follow the commands of the Lord. 

It is a blessing to know that the Lord loves us, cares for us, and calls us into his service. We do not answer the call to minister in the name of the Lord in hopes to earn his love, we serve the Lord because we know that we are loved by the Lord. 

More to come… 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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