The Word is Very Near

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."
(Deuteronomy 30: 11-14)

"But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."

Can you imagine? This was written in Deuteronomy - in the OLD TESTAMENT - and yet it is so relevant to us today.

God, through Moses, had just explained the terms of the covenant with the Israelites. In order for them to be in covenant - in relationship - with the Lord God, they had to obey certain rules that would, in fact, make them holy before God. These laws would allow Him to dwell with them. The problem was, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, the children of God continuously rebelled and separated themselves from the Father.

Enter Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God.

The Word - Jesus - lives within us through His Holy Spirit. We do not need to wait for someone to go to heaven or travel beyond the sea to bring the word to us - He has already come!

Now, let me show you something that demonstrates why God's Word thrills me.

Guess what the cross-reference is to this verse? Romans 10:8-10! This is a crucial verse in what we call "The Roman Road" - the series of verses used to lead someone to Christ! And its origin is in Deuteronomy!

Romans 10:8-10, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Glorious! Simply glorious!!

God is the same yesterday, today and forever! His Word weaves together a remarkable tapestry of truth and life. Jesus is the fulfillment of God's Law - the Old Testament. We cannot separate Him from the Old. The Old Testament is foundational to our faith.

And as you begin to study and search and hunger for God's Word, you will be amazed at how they are interwoven.

There is a treasure chest waiting for you.

Go ahead, start digging. I know you want to.

Lord, you amaze me. Your Word thrills my soul. I pray for my friends that You will stir up a hunger for Your Word in each of them as You have for me. The more I study Your Word, the more I stand in awe of You. Words cannot express my heart when I try to comprehend Your majesty, Your holiness. You, O Lord are worthy of my praise. I honor You and glorify Your Name.