April 24

Deuteronomy 12:8 (NIV)
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit,

Moses is writing the commands from God and God is saying don’t worship idols – o.k., we understand that. Next He says not worship as the world does, but to worship as I have taught you to worship. In other words they were not to worship as the “felt” or “desired” but they were to worship as God deserved! The other thing God said that they were not to worship where they wanted to, but they were to worship ONLY at the place where God instructed them to. Did you get that? We not only can’t worship HOW we want, but we can’t worship where we want! Are you getting the idea that worship is about God and not us? Today we are free to go to the place of worship that God instructs us to and we have such freedom to worship Him in many ways except when it contains no sacrifice. That could use some thought. Let me say this, it is God that plants us in a church and God who moves us on to another and not us – we are at His service for His pleasure. Look at WHY God instructs us;

Deuteronomy 12:7 (NIV)
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

That is His heart! He wants us to have MAX blessing! What a great God!