In Deuteronomy 5-7, Moses reminds the people of the Ten Commandments, emphasizing obedience to God’s instructions. But notice how God kept saying, “I didn’t choose you because you were the biggest or the best—I chose you because I love you.” It’s such a powerful reminder that God’s love isn’t earned by what we do. He loves us because He has chosen to, and that love comes with a call to remain faithful.
Another key part is in Deuteronomy 6:5, where God commands, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” This is the kind of love God is asking for—complete, wholehearted devotion. In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, God reminds the Israelites that He didn’t choose them because of their strength or greatness, but because of His love and faithfulness to the promises He made. It’s not by their might but by God’s promise that they will receive the land. It’s a beautiful reminder that everything we receive is not because of our own strength but because of God’s faithfulness and grace.
In Acts 15:22-16:5, we see the church leaders send a letter to the Gentile believers, telling them they don’t need to follow all the old Jewish laws to be part of God’s family. It feels like a continuation of that same message: God isn’t asking us to prove ourselves through rules. He’s asking us to walk in love, faith, and grace. They simplified things for the Gentiles because they realized that what matters most is relationship, not religion.
At the core of both passages is this idea of grace over performance. God doesn’t want us to be weighed down by rules or feel like we have to earn His love. He already chose us. Now, He just wants us to walk in His ways with love and obedience.
Affirmation:
I walk in God’s grace, knowing I’m chosen and loved. I live in obedience, not to earn His love, but because I already have it!
Today’s Reading
Deuteronomy 5-7
And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.
Acts 15:22-16:5
Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas,and Silas, leading men among the brethren. They wrote this letter by them:The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:Greetings.