Judges 2:20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.”
Exodus 24:3-8 Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
Deuteronomy 29:10-13 “You are standing today, all of you, before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today, that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
What is it that would test your heart, mind, and soul for God? What is it that you keep or allow time in your heart that is not in line with honoring God? How is a person to know if what is in their heart is pure and not just head nod words without commitment, fruit, action? Serving God, living for Jesus, and being filled with the Holy Spirit comes from a heart and soul that has been opened to the word of God and has intentionally chosen a life of obedience and reliance. Staying in His word each day gives our heart and mind foundational reinforcement (everlasting food) and confidence in Jesus today with hope for tomorrow. When our heart, mind, and soul are not nourished with the word of God what is it that fills that void? Could it be job recognition, coveted lifestyle and all that goes with it, more money, more stuff, busyness, sports, work, family, friends, and anything else that can occupy time alone with God’s word (commitment), being attentive to what it is saying to your heart (seeking/listening), and being willing to humbly act in line with His word (obedience). Time away from His word allows our heart, mind, and soul to be filled with that which does not honor and glorify God.
