Scripture:

Deuteronomy 5:32–33

32 You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. 33 You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess. (NRSVUE)

Observation:

Moses has just rehearsed God’s commandments before the people, and now he gives them strict instructions about how they are to live. They are to be careful to do as the Lord has commanded them, not turning to the right or to the left.

By this point, Moses knows something personally about the consequences of failing to follow God’s instructions. At Meribah, God told him to speak to the rock, but Moses struck it instead. That act of disobedience would have long-term consequences for him, including not being permitted to lead the people into the promised land. Maybe that’s part of why I hear such poignancy in his words here. Moses knows what can happen when you fail to listen.

The people aren’t supposed to “sort of” follow the path God has placed before them. They are to follow it faithfully. Specifically, Moses tells them not to turn to the right or to the left. They are not to become distracted from the way God has given them.

And God isn’t giving them these instructions simply to restrict them. This is the way in which His covenant people are to live and flourish in the land He is giving them.

Application:

I’m thoroughly enjoying my time in England with our British grandchildren. We’re getting to spend more time with them than we normally do, and it’s a joy to get to know them and their personalities. They are such adorable kids—which every grandparent ought to believe!

At the same time, they’re at an age where they love to test the boundaries.

This morning there was a little meltdown over Grandpa helping Alana put on her jacket. He held it up for her, and she burst into tears because she didn’t want him to hold the jacket. She wanted her daddy to hold it. But soon her daddy established the boundaries, the tears were wiped away, and we were off to school.

Getting them to school can be a bit harrowing as they ride their scooters—the push-style kind—and Grandpa and I follow along behind. There’s a lot of traffic and usually quite a few people. The children know they can ride ahead of us only as far as we can still see them. They have to stop at every street crossing and wait for us.

Those are the rules!

We don’t want them suddenly going off to the right or to the left because it could be dangerous. On one of the roads, big city buses pass by at a pretty good speed, and the sidewalk is very close to the road.

There are reasons for the rules.

The boundaries aren’t there to spoil their trip to school. They’re there because the adults who love them can see dangers that they may not recognize. Within those boundaries, they have plenty of freedom. They can push their scooters, laugh, race ahead a little, and enjoy the journey. They simply need to remain on the path and listen when they’re told to stop.

I’m happy to say that they follow those rules pretty well.

As followers of Jesus Christ, there are boundaries in our lives as well. Not because God doesn’t love us or wants to take away our freedom, but precisely because our loving Heavenly Father desires life and flourishing for His children. There are things that can hurt us, and when we become distracted by what’s on the right or the left, we can wander away from the path God has placed before us.

Moses knew that obedience mattered. He had experienced personally the consequences of failing to follow God’s instruction. Now he tells the next generation: pay attention. Don’t wander off. Don’t become distracted. Follow the path God has given you.

Maybe that’s a word I need today as well.

There will always be something on the right or the left clamoring for my attention. But the goal isn’t to spend my life staring suspiciously in both directions, worried about everything that might pull me away.

The goal is to keep my eyes on the One who is leading me.

Don’t turn to the right.

Don’t turn to the left.

Keep following Him.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to have the right attitude in my heart and mind as I follow You. Thank You that Your commands are given for my good and that You desire life and flourishing for Your children. May I spend enough time with You that I am not distracted by what is on the right or the left, but keep my eyes fixed on You and faithfully follow where You lead. Amen.