'But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you; to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and soul' (Joshua 22:5)
Love God -> Walk in His Ways -> OBEY <- Hold fast <- Serve God
The land was settled. The wars were over. Peace had come. The three tribes (Gad, Reuben and half of Manasseh) could now return to east of the Jordan. Joshua sends them on their way with a timely reminder - don't forget whose your are! At the heart of devotion to Yahweh is obedience. At the heart of love and service is obedience. And often obedience in times of peace is much more challenging than any other time. In peace the temptation is to turn to our own resources rather than God's. To build an altar to our own ingenuity rather than rely on God's wisdom.
Prayer
You tell me Lord that 'to obey is better than sacrifice'. You tell me Lord that 'faith without works is dead.' As you told the ancient Israelites so you tell me that you seek a heart that is obedient - that holds fast to you and seeks always to walk in your ways. May it be so for me.
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