Know it... Live it... Love it.

Know this well, then. Take it to heart right now: God is in Heaven above; God is on Earth below. He's the only God there is. Obediently live by his rules and commands which I'm giving you today so that you'll live well and your children after you—oh, you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you. Deuteronomy 4:39-40

As I was reading my Chronological Bible (I'm behind, of course, but sometimes I'm stuck by how God is right on time) I read this verse and I really liked it. I love to look up verses in different translations, and the verse I've quoted here is from The Message. These verses some up our relationship with God...

Know this well- know it. Claim it. Believe it. Have faith in it.

Take heart right now- Stop rationalizing away your faith, and put your belief into action. Take heart... Own it in your marrow, in your bones. Feel it. Right now. Today. This very hour.

God is in Heaven and on Earth- GOD the Creator. Look up tonight at the stars. He's numbered them. The trees in our hills... he knows where their seeds came from. The sand on our beautiful beaches, the waves that crash into them... He's orchestrated it all. From the wonders of outer space to the depths of our Earth, He is in control.

He's the only God there is- There may be other gods. They have no power. They don't have the ability to stop you in your tracks, to heal you of disease, to comfort you when you are brokenhearted. There is only one God, and He is sitting on His throne right now.

Obediently live by His rules- This is where we tend to get hung up. If you read the Old Testament, there were many laws they had to live by. We were freed from the law when Christ Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We have two basic commandments- love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, strength,and being, and love our neighbors as we love ourself. If we can follow this, loving God and each other, it helps us keep other commandments, such as do not kill, do not steal, do not covet, and do not lie.

So that you might live well, and your children- Rules aren't made to be broken. They are made to help us, to protect us, to keep us. When we love God, and love each other, we are full of His Spirit, and we do live well. In turn, our children will see us fulfilling this and they, too, will live well. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.

You'll live a long time in that land that God is giving you- Here he's talking about Canaan, the Promised Land. But we have a Promised Land, where we will live eternally. No death. No sickness. No orphans. No crying or sadness or fear or pain. A land that is beautiful, where we will forever be with the One who gave it all for us.

Live well. Love Him. Know this. He's real, and He loves you in a way you can never imagine.