Saturday, March 14

Trust and Obey

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28-29, Galatians 6

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Observation

After reviewing God’s law and renewing Israel’s covenant with Him, Moses adds this insight.  God has revealed much to us, but there is much more that we don’t know—the secret things that belong to the Lord.  We are not accountable for what we don’t know, what God hasn’t revealed to us, but we are accountable for what He has revealed, and we should obey that.

Application

“Why?”  We have all asked that question, particularly after disaster strikes.  I asked it after my son died, and when I had cancer.  I’ve asked it when friends have died, or been stricken, or experienced some profound tragedy.  

And I have unanswered questions about Scripture, theology, God, and life.  

This verse helps me navigate those unanswered (and perhaps unanswerable) questions.  God has chosen to reveal much, but to keep other things secret, unknown to us.  When I bump up against one of those things, my best response is to trust Him.  I ask my questions, wrestle with my doubts, do my research, but in the end, when I don’t know, I simply have to trust Him.  I trust Him because of what He has revealed about Himself: I know He is trustworthy.

My other response is to make sure that I pay attention to what He has revealed, what I do know.  I’m not responsible for what I don’t know but I am responsible for what I do know.  I’m responsible to obey that.

So my response comes back to the old hymn: Trust and Obey.  Trust Him for what I don’t know.  Obey Him in what I do know.

Prayer: Lord, there is so much I don’t know; help me to trust You and obey what I do know!