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Philippians 2:5-7 "5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" We are studying “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading from Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Those same ideas and themes continue in church services around the world today: communal worship that is a shared experience and brings joy to those who love God. In these gatherings, the Holy Ghost helps people encounter God and transforms their lives. Jewish tradition was centered on the coming Messiah. Jesus is that Messiah. Christian tradition centers on the life, death, resurrection, and eventual return of our Lord and Savior. We are tempted to see these as distinct traditions. The more accurate perspective is that they form one conti...
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together

Psalm 122:3&4 "3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD." We are studying the acrostic GRACED. This week we are focusing on “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Today’s verses describe Jerusalem as a city built compactly together, symbolizing unity, stability, and order. The Hebrew imagery suggests the city is like a seamless structure, or like the tabernacle curtains joined to form one whole, reflecting both the physical strength of Jerusalem and the spiritual unity of God’s people. Verse 4 explains that this unity serves a divine purpose: the tribes of the LORD (the twelve tribes of Israel) go up to Jerusalem to give thanks and praise to the name of the LORD, as commanded by statute. This pilgrimage was a central act o...
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the house of the LORD

Psalm 122:1&2 "1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." We are studying the acrostic GRACED : G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. Last week we focused on “Read God’s Word daily.” We dedicated ourselves to making the reading of God’s Word a daily habit. Binding it to your hands and your head can take the form of jewelry, a challenge coin, a T-shirt, or anything else that keeps the Lord at the forefront of your thinking. Keep a Bible on your phone. Use technology for good and read it anywhere. Display God’s Word in your home; hang verses and crosses on your walls. Let all who see it know how important it is to you. Sanctify your life with God’s Word. You will be glad you did. This week we study “Attend worship regularly.” We begin by reading from the Psal...
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God’s Word

Deuteronomy 11:23 "Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves." Wrapping up our reading from Deuteronomy, today’s verse elaborates God’s conditional promise within the Mosaic covenant: if Israel obeys His commandments, He will drive out the nations inhabiting Canaan so that the Israelites may possess land occupied by peoples greater and mightier than themselves. Key elements of the verse Condition of obedience . The promise depends on the people carefully keeping the commandment to love the Lord, walk in His ways, and hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 11:22). Divine intervention . Victory is not won by human strength but by God’s power to dispossess stronger enemies. Theological significance . Spoken as Israel stood on the brink of the Promised Land, the assurance was meant to encourage faith and trust in God’s ability to fulfill His word despite overwhelming odds. Christian interpretation . Ma...
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unwavering loyalty

Deuteronomy 11:22 "For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;" Today’s verse God presents diligent obedience as the condition for blessing. Keeping the commandments is summed up in three marks of devotion: love the LORD your God, walk in all His ways (live by His law), and cleave to Him (stay loyal and close). This is the prerequisite for the promise in verses 23–25: if Israel remains faithful, the LORD will drive out the nations then occupying Canaan and give His people victory over enemies greater and stronger than they are. Theologically, the verse teaches that true faithfulness is more than rule-keeping. It is a wholehearted relationship with God; intentional obedience joined to unwavering loyalty.
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before your eyes

Deuteronomy 11:20&21 "20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: 21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth." God’s Word is living and active; it both invites and provokes us. In the verses just before these, God commands His people to take His words to heart and soul, to bind them as a sign, and to speak them in the ordinary course of life. His teaching is not a single lesson but a practiced habit, passed from one generation to the next, so that His people will love and obey Him always. In today’s verses He commands Israel to write those words on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates. The law is to be a constant, visible reminder of the covenant and a public confession of faith. Divine instruction is meant to mark private rooms and public thresholds alike, so that God’s presence and guidance st...
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every generation

Deuteronomy 11:19 "And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." We started the week with Jesus’s words about the authority of Scripture. God’s Word is living and active; it invites us and it provokes us. Yesterday we turned back to Deuteronomy, words written more than three thousand years ago, about how we should respond to God’s Word. God commands His people to internalize His words: to fix them in heart and soul, and also to wear them outwardly as a sign. God’s words are not meant to remain mere intellectual assent. They are to fill the inner person; affections, mind, and motives. Binding them on the hand pictures deeds; binding them on the forehead pictures thought, worldview, and public identity. Today’s verse calls for a lifestyle of constant, conversational faith: not a single lesson, but an ongoing, natural practice of speaking God’s truth into...
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