Deuteronomy 17-23

What God said to me – It doesn’t matter how your actions or behavior stack up to those around you.  What matters is what I think.  The way the world measures right and wrong and good and evil is not the same as My standards.  You must be blameless before Me.  Don’t get puffed up thinking you are pretty good compared to everyone else.  How do you stand before Me?  Are you blameless before Me?  The only way for you to be blameless before Me is for you to let Me make you blameless.  You must walk with Me moment by moment and guard your heart and mind by staying in My word and by staying away from those things that cause you to stray.  Don’t open your heart and mind to temptation through books or television or movies or bad company.  Just living in this world makes it difficult enough without purposefully exposing yourself to opportunities to stray.  Stay close to Me.

Deuteronomy 14-16

What God said to me – So many of the instructions I gave Israel were to show that they were a people separated from the world – a people I chose as My own.  They were to act differently.  They were to be different.  The same is true for you.  You are not to be or act as the world does.  You are Mine.  You are separate – holy to Me.  You shouldn’t participate in their pagan or ungodly practices.  It should be evident to all that you are Mine from the way you live each day.  You don’t need to “preach” to them or condemn their lifestyle – just live yours to please Me.  Be kind but don’t waver.  Love, but don’t participate.  They will see you are different.  You have opportunities to share why that is – you can lift Me up so others will be drawn to Me.

Deuteronomy 11-13

What God said to me – It is so easy to be enticed by the world around you if you are not totally focused on Me.  That is why I instructed Israel to impress My word on their heart and soul – to bind them to their hand and on their forehead.  In order not to stray you must always focus on Me and My word.  Don’t let this become an empty routine, going through the motions, but make it a habit of your heart and mind that is ingrained on your soul.  Only then will it truly change the way you live.  Incorporate My word in your speech as you encounter others – not to preach or demonstrate your knowledge, but to share what your walk with Me truly means and to remind yourself to stay faithful always.