Deuteronomy 29:1-31:29 ~~ Human Nature or Self Gratitude?
Having not joined this blog group from the beginning of the Bible, I feel I have missed out a bit. We are reading at a pretty furious pace for our busy lifestyles...I mean three chapters a day, right? Well, for me that means if I miss one day because I think my messy house is top priority or because I have to go to work early that day, I run the risk of falling multiple chapters behind. Should this cause me to quit in defeat? Well, according to what I read today, human nature has a tendency to lose interest and slip back into their old ways.
The Lord reiterates several times in the earlier chapters of Deuteronomy (I mean isn't it wasting valuable space in the Bible? It is pretty thick as it is! hah) "be careful that you do not forget the Lord..." (6:12), "Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord..." (6:17), "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today..." (8:1), Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands..." (8:11) and clearly he repeats himself that even though he tells the people over and over...obey, listen, make sure there is no man, woman, clan or tribe whose heart turns away to worship other gods, they are bound to say "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way."
Is that human nature of just self gratitude? Or is that one in the same? My favorite verses of today's chapters may be from chapter 30. " ...what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach...No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it." "I have set before you life and death...now choose life, so that you and your children may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..."
Well, life goes on for the Israelites, and they hear what the Lord has said and the Lord knows that they will fail him, even before he's done talking. How true is that. But he gives them a chance, there is always a chance, to come back. 
What I would like to remind myself today is that:
 * the Lord is my life (not the dishes, laundry or stacks of paperwork that need going through...not the win your wedding contest or facebook :)
  *this is not too hard for me--three chapters?!  ( God's word is right here--in several forms and dusty translations, it is me that needs to make the choice to put him first.)
  *When I get lazy or distracted and fall away from him, but I return to him with all my heart and soul, he shows compassion and gathers me back even from the most distant land under the heavens.
So, no need for me to give up! No need for me to quit because I fall behind a few chapters...keep going!..then the Lord will again delight in me! ...and will make me most prosperous in all the work of my hands. Sounds like a good start to the day? Right?