"You must follow the Lord your God. You must pray to him and to no one else. Obey his rules and do what he commands you. Work for him and give him pleasure" (Deuteronomy 13:4, Easy English Version).
Man's relationship with God is fundamental to life on the earth. That relationship has to be dynamic and must be conducted in the right way to get appropriate results. But often times, human beings are not sure how exactly to go about relating right with God. His ways are not our ways and our thoughts are in fact contrary to His. However, the Bible is full of instructions on how to relate right with God. I can assure you that if you will follow the teachings of the Bible with an open and sincere heart, you will have a wonderful experience with the Almighty God.
Our Scripture verse for today is one of the many pockets of divine instructions for a smooth ride with the Most High God. It tells us first and foremost that to relate with God is to follow Him. That speaks of putting our focus on Him, learning His ways and seeking to do as He does. That is perfectly consistent with God's idea when He made man. Remember that you were made in His image and after His likeness. You were created to follow God. To live another kind of life is to waste your existence. May you not waste yours.
Next, we are told that relating right with God must involve praying to Him. Prayer simply means communication with God. We all generally do that one way or the other, including those who don't even want to relate with God. But in praying to God, we must do it right. This is why this particular admonition comes with a clear qualification - those who pray to God must pray to no one else. God is absolute and He is in a class of His own. You insult His supremacy when you pray to Him and still pray to someone else.
The third lesson here is that those who want to have a good relationship with God must "obey His rules and do what He commands". There is no substitute for obedience in walking with God. Obedience is the proof of love, loyalty and submission. The disobedient is not only unfaithful, he is rebellious and deemed to be an idolater. That is why the end of disobedience is separation from God in eternal damnation. Please think about all this whenever you are tempted to disobey God.
Fourthly, relating right with God must involve working for Him because there can be no genuine relationship without service. The service we are talking about here is real work, not mere attendance of religious meetings. We are to labour in the service of God with all our strength and resources. It is your duty to find out where and how God wants you to labour for Him. Finally, we must give Him pleasure. No one enjoys painful relationships, not even God. But more importantly, you and I were made for His pleasure, and remain alive for same purpose. When we please God, He responds by pleasing us more. It pays, always, to be in a meaningful relationship with God.
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