And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, (Deuteronomy 10:12)

It's been a couple of days since Youth Camp. And having been struck down with this flu which has made me so unusually fatigued the past two days, I think I am now ready to revisit the messages expounded, having given enough time to rest. What does the Lord require of me? In Christian terms, God's requirement is so simple to understand, yet at the same time so hard to fulfil.

To fear Him

This is an internal attitude to have a godly fear towards a Master who has created all of existence. To honour Him, respect Him, and have reverential awe for Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Everything that I have in my current state, the blessedness of my life: Living in Singapore, having two healthy parents, having a relatively good intellect, having a good house and decent food, having a good degree, having my brothers, cousins, friends, knowing Jesus. All these are provided for by Him, and rightfully I should give Him reverence. In essence, it is being obedient to truth. The truth that God exists and He is sovereign over all creation.

To walk in all His ways

This is external action translated when I fear God in our heart. Having that reverential awe and respect of God makes you want to walk in His ways. And His ways are simple: To love the God with all your heart and your soul, and to love your neighbour as yourself. Two commandments only. This is expanded in the Ten Commandments, but essentially the Ten Commandments is one and the same as these two, as Jesus as said. Walking in Him, again just means obeying the truth, and following it out not just in the heart, but naturally in the action. It isn't so much about how accomplished I am, or what job I do, but about my attitudes and actions towards God. It is about my own character.

To love Him

To adore and delight in the Lord. This is essentially the same side of the coin as fearing Him. To love Him as you would love a master, a parent, a friend, Through worship and prayer.

To serve Him

Loving God will drive us automatically to do acts of service for Him, just as you would do the same for your loved ones. And this is manifested through doing good for others, not for self-perpetuation but at the deepest, sincerest level.

I am writing this for posterity. I am writing this to remind myself of the many things I cannot let go completely of, thereby breaking the tenth commandment. I am writing this because God wants the best for me, since I am His royalty, and I can only get the best if I fear Him and walk in His ways, if I give all my respect and honour to Him and obey His commandments, if I have faith in Him to direct my paths.

My heavenly master loves me, and takes care of me, protects me, and gives me all my needs. So why do I run away from Him even though He knows me better than I know myself? Why do I run away from His blessings and His wellsprings of life? Young Christian, look inwards to your heart, there you will find warmth, protection and peace, for that's where the Holy Spirit dwells, just like how the Ark of the Covenant lies in the center of the tribes. Inwards is protection, outwards is danger. || posted by Kuan Hui