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Deuteronomy 11:22-24, If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.

Heartfelt obedience would be required for the people of God to drive out the people groups currently residing in the promised land.  Simply going through the motions, engaging in religious ceremony, and professing faith would not be enough.  They needed to seek relationship with God through love, obedience, and steadfastness.  When they did this, all the land would be theirs.

Obviously, our circumstances are different.  Obviously, we live on the other side of the cross under a new covenant.  But as people, are we all that different?  Don't we also simply go through the motions sometimes, professing religious faith but not really loving God?  How often do we engage in religious ritual without connection and obedience to a holy God?  After thousands of years, God is still seeking an intimate relationship with us, one that is marked with love, obedience, and steadfastness.  He wants to be the center of our lives. 

Take some time today and think about the Israelites, just as they are on the cusp of entering the promised land.  How are you different from them?  How are you similar?

Let's pray...Almighty God, You are holy and perfect, wise and loving.  Thank you for loving us and seeking us even when we are hard to love.  Help us keep you as the center of our lives.  God, I don't want to simply go through the motions; I want to have a deep, abiding relationship with you.  More of you, Jesus, and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.