Yesterday’s devotion
was about God holding onto us. Today, I want to write about us holding onto Him
based on verses in Deuteronomy and Joshua.
Deuteronomy 11:22-23
22 “For if you carefully keep all these
commandments which I command you to do—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him—23 then
the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will
dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves.
I read these two verses above and could not miss the obvious lesson in
verse 22–a beautiful outline for how we can build our relationship with God. This
is how we can go deeper in our walk with Him. When we go deeper we will find
that we will hold fast to Him. This is where we experience victory in our
Christian life. For the Israelites that was driving out the other wicked nations,
for us it is overcoming difficult circumstances in our lives.
How We Can Go Deeper
There are three
progressions: Three Steps
It starts with Love.
Step 1: To love
the Lord
your God - I cherish this
invitation from a High and Holy God who wants us to love Him.
Step 2: To walk
in all His ways - This is what scripture teaches us in our Bible,
how to live the Christian life. We must be reading His word to learn how to
walk in His ways.
Step 3: And to
hold fast to Him – This is what
makes the difference in a close relationship and in difficult times. This is
the vital key to going deeper. Hold on and hold on tight.
If we don’t hold fast, we are much more
vulnerable to grow cold and/or to stray.
Deuteronomy
11:22 clearly reminds us to start with love. Isn’t that a great place to start?
This is why I want to repeat these steps spelled out in verse 22. This is so
important to learn, so let’s go through it again.
1. Start with loving God.
2. Move forward with walking in
His ways.
3. Go deeper when we hold fast
to Him.
Holding fast
keeps us close and will prevent us from straying and going after false gods or those things in our lives
that take the place He should have, the preeminent place that is rightfully
His.
Deuteronomy 13:4
is another verse that calls attention to holding fast and Joshua 22:5 brings
this message home in the words of Joshua, chosen by God to be the Israelite
leader and commander following the death of Moses.
Deuteronomy 13:4
You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His
voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
Joshua 22:5
“But take careful heed to do the commandment
and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to
keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your
heart and with all your soul.”
Do you love the
Lord? Are you walking in His ways? Are you holding fast to Him?
Hold on and hold
on tight.
