"Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess." (Deuteronomy 32:46–47).

Moses, about to die, pleaded. He wanted the Word of God to meld with Israel's mind. He wished his teaching would drop like the dew (32:2). He would depart, but God's word would remain. He'd passed God's thoughts on to Israel, and he prayed they'd pass them on to their children.

"Be careful," Moses said, "To do all the words of this law." Don't leave any of it neglected. Obey it. Why?

"For it is no empty word for you, but your very life." The word of God was their covenant. Obedience led to great blessings. To neglect the word meant God would be forced to deliver the curses attached to disobedience. With a prayerful tone, Moses pleaded, "Obey. Do it all."

O, that we could see the Scripture as "no empty word," but our "very life." God has given us great instruction, and we could spend a lifetime learning of Him in His word, so we must continually turn to it.

Recently, I heard someone arguing that a particular denomination should tolerate wildly varying doctrinal positions regarding human sexuality. She thought only God could weigh in on how people live. Then she argued, "Live and let live, I say." Ha! So whose word is authoritative for her? Not God's. "I say," she said.

She was living by the power of her own word. It had become her new Scripture.

Let this not be so! Let us scour the Word of God to learn of the truth. He is the King of Kings, and we must treat Him as such. This means His decrees are our delight. It is not an empty word, but our very life.