My daughter-in-law called me late Tuesday night for a quick chat about Thanksgiving plans. She had just gotten home, having left about 7:15 in the morning. She was tired, but her day wasn’t over. There were still things that had to be done before she could retire for the night.

My daughter is the same way. Her days are filled with work, transporting children, church work, and housework.

My four grandchildren are busy. Their parents are busy transporting them from one soccer game, football game, basketball game, and cheerleading event to another. There seems to be no end to the things they have to do.

I remember those days. I did the same things they are doing, and I often felt our hectic lifestyle would never end. But the children grew up and moved away, and I find myself filling my days with different activities than when the children were little. The things I do are different, but the demands on my time don’t seem much different.

We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday living, and we often forget just what God put us here to do.

In Deuteronomy 10, Moses spoke to the Children of Israel about this. He said, “’And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his way, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?’” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 ESV).

So, let’s look at these instructions from Moses to the Children of Israel. I think we will find that these are the same instructions we have today.

First, we notice that Moses is speaking to a group of people chosen by God for a specific purpose. They were the promised nation that came out of God’s promise to Abraham.

Christians are a chosen people. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the exellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9).

Second, we are to fear the Lord our God. “Fear” in this passage is respect, and God commands us to respect Him as He commanded the Israelites. “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Third, we are to walk in all of His ways. “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it” (II John 1:4).

Fourth, we are to love Him. We show our love for Him by the way we love others. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (I John 4:7-8).

Fifth, we are to serve the Lord with all of our heart and soul. Jesus once told the rich young ruler, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:18-19).

The young man assured the Lord that he had kept these commands since his youth. Jesus then told him to go sell his possessions and follow Him. The young man went away sad because he was wealthy.

Later in the chapter Jesus spoke to His disciples and told them who would be rewarded. He said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:28-29).

Sixth, we are to keep God’s commandments. John said, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie” (Revelation 22:14-15 KJV).

The last thing God says to the people of Israel is, “which I am commanding you today for your good?” What God had commanded the people of Israel to do, He said it was for their good.

Is it any different for us today? The answer is “no.” God’s commandments for us today are for our good.

Sandra Oliver