Today I stumbled across something so beautiful in my daily Bible reading I just had to share it with you. I am just finishing up the book of Deuteronomy. At the end of chapter 30 as the Israelites are reminded of all God has taught and commanded over the past forty years of wandering, they are told this:
Deut 30:11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
Communication can be so complicated in our environment. There’s always the fine print. The fine print pretty much contains the critical details that will come back to haunt you at some point. Before you sign up for what is contained in the regular print, you’d better read the fine print.
Reading the fine print isn’t as easy as it sounds. Not only is it fine (meaning very tiny) but it is also confusing, technical and long. You must search for detail, hire a lawyer to explain it or take your chances.
The fine print is all about how you will be precluded from receiving the benefits that are promised in the large print. Your product may carry a money back guarantee but the fine print will guarantee that’s probably not going to happen.
The thing about the fine print is you have to live by it to get what you’ve been promised but you’ll never be able to understand what it is you have to live by.
Not so with the precious Word of God – it is clear with no hidden elements.
In the Old Testament, God was careful to describe in detail just what needed to take place in order for the people to reap the blessings He so desired to pour out on them. He even told them exactly what to do if they messed up and violated His commands. More than that, He gave them clear instructions for what to do in case they accidently sinned and weren’t aware of it. It was the perfect instruction manual for the maintenance and operation of God’s people.
The New Testament is even clearer and more to the point. Love God, confess sin and believe in the Son. It’s not difficult and it is certainly not beyond our reach. It’s accessible to everyone, young or old, rich or poor, wise or ignorant. Rather than spend a lot of time writing fine print, God spent His time making sure we had everything at hand we needed to reap the guaranteed benefit.
He gave us the Word in black and white, detailed and encouraging. He gave us brains to understand it and called pastors and disciples to study it and help us dig deeper into it. (Thank you, Pastor Jeff)
He gave us the Holy Spirit to stir hearts in a way that we know right from wrong, even when society tries to tell us different.
He gave us each other for accountability and encouragement, to share with and rejoice with, to witness to and be moved by, so we could see His word working before our very eyes.
I challenge you to pick up His Word today and know that whatever you read you can believe and trust. Don’t even bother to search for the fine print because there is none.
For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” Psalm 33:4
