SURROUNDING NATIONS
Today's reading: Deuteronomy 4-6
"If you obey them carefully, you will display your wisdom and intelligence to the surrounding nations. When they hear about these laws, they will exclaim, What other nation is as wise and prudent as this!" Deuteronomy 4:6 NLT
I've emphasized a few words in this morning's verse....
Them refers to the laws of God. The very rules and commands that set us, or in this case the nation of Israel, apart from others. The laws God has placed before us, in the Bible, as guidelines for us to follow as we strive to become more and more holy.
Surrounding nations. Few of us mix and mingle across national, or even cultural borders. We spend the majority of our days within the few boundaries of our hometowns, workplaces and favorite shopping centers. But we are bumping into non-believers all the time. Folks who don't YET know about our Lord and Savior. People who are headed to a vastly different place than we are for eternity.
When they hear...ooh, this is where it gets good! When they notice that we are living differently. When they watch us for a short time to see how we act and react. When they hear the different language we speak. When they finally allow us the privilege of us telling them about what makes our lives different from others. When we are given a green light to tell them about our Jesus...then they will want to know more, want to hear more, want to know our Savior, too.
So, believing friends, it's vital that we obey God's Word very carefully. The 'surrounding nations' will only notice a difference and be reached by us doing so.
