Deuteronomy 10:12 says, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?”
This verse teaches us several key things that God requires of us:
1. To Fear God
The first thing God requires is that we “fear” Him. This doesn’t mean we should be scared of God in a negative sense. Rather, it refers to having proper reverence, respect, and awe for who God is. As our Creator and Lord, God deserves our highest esteem and honor. Fearing God means humbling ourselves before Him and recognizing His supreme power and authority over everything.
2. To Walk in His Ways
In addition to fearing God, we are called to “walk in his ways.” This means following God’s teachings, principles, and guidance for how to live our lives. We are to pattern our lives after God’s ways, studying Scripture to understand His values and priorities, and then putting them into practice. Walking in God’s ways impacts everything from our ethics to our lifestyle choices.
3. To Love God
Loving God is listed next. We are commanded to love God with our whole being – our heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). God wants us to have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with Him, to love Him passionately for who He is. Loving God goes hand-in-hand with fearing and obeying Him.
4. To Serve God
The call to serve God follows loving Him. Serving God means making His priorities our own and living our lives for His agenda and purpose. We serve God by using our time, talents, and resources to advance His Kingdom and bring Him glory. This impacts what we do with our life’s work, time, money, and possessions. Everything we have belongs to God and is intended for His purposes.
5. To Obey God’s Commands
Finally, God requires us to obey His commands and decrees. The essence of obedience is living God’s way rather than our own. It means saying “yes” to God’s will even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. God gives us commands for our protection and flourishing, so obeying them is always for our good, as this verse notes. Obeying God demonstrates we truly fear, love and serve Him.
In summary, Deuteronomy 10:12 provides a beautiful picture of what God desires from His people. God wants us to revere Him as Lord, follow in His wise and loving ways, love Him with deep devotion, serve Him above all else, and obey His commands joyfully. When God’s people live this way, we experience the abundant life Jesus came to give us (John 10:10).
1. To Fear God
Fearing God means having awe, respect and reverence for who He is as our all-powerful, all-knowing, holy Creator and Lord. It includes:
- Recognizing God’s complete authority and lordship over everything
- Submitting humbly to God’s will rather than our own
- Worshipping God for who He is, not just what He does
- Living with awareness of God’s presence and desire to please Him
- Not taking God for granted, but honoring Him in all we do
The following verses emphasize the importance of fearing God:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 10:12)
“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” (Psalm 33:8)
2. To Walk in His Ways
Walking in God’s ways means patterning our lives after His wise principles and commands. It involves:
- Studying Scripture to understand God’s values, priorities and guidance
- Obeying God’s moral laws and instructions
- Imitating Jesus’ example of how to live
- Conforming our thoughts, words and actions to God’s will
- Depending on the Holy Spirit to help us follow God’s ways
The following verses speak to the importance of walking in God’s ways:
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!” (Psalm 119:1)
“Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” (Proverbs 4:27)
“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” (Psalm 25:9)
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
3. To Love God
Loving God wholeheartedly includes:
- Choosing to set our affection on God above all else
- Developing an intimate, personal relationship with Him
- Enjoying and desiring God’s presence
- Cherishing God’s character and taking joy in who He is
- Being faithful and loyal to God in all circumstances
Here are some key verses about loving God:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'” (Matthew 22:36-37)
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:2-4)
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
4. To Serve God
Serving God involves:
- Making God’s purposes and agenda our own
- Investing our time, talents and resources into building His Kingdom
- Working wholeheartedly as if serving the Lord Himself
- Finding joy and fulfillment in serving God
- Willingly serving others as an expression of serving God
The following verses speak to what it means to serve God:
“Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:2)
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)
“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24)
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
5. To Obey God’s Commands
Obeying God means:
- Submitting to God’s commands and principles
- Saying “yes” to God’s will even when difficult
- Doing what God says because we trust His wisdom
- Following God’s moral laws and guidance
- Persevering in obedience over the long haul
Here are key Bible verses about obeying God:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28)
“He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:9)
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!” (Psalm 119:1)
In summary, Deuteronomy 10:12 provides a beautiful, concise summary of what God expects of His people. When we fear, love, serve and obey God from the heart, we will experience the abundant, blessed life He desires for us.
Key Actions God Requires
Let’s recap the key actions Deuteronomy 10:12 indicates God wants from us:
- Fear God – Reverence and honor God as the supreme Lord over all.
- Walk in His ways – Follow God’s principles and precepts for life.
- Love God – Cherish God and enjoy intimate relationship with Him.
- Serve God – Do everything as service unto God.
- Obey God’s commands – Submit to God’s laws and instructions.
Living this way flows out of a transformed heart of love for God. It leads to theabundant, meaningful life God promises.
Fearing God Impacts Us By:
- Deepening reverence, awe and respect for God
- Increasing awareness of God’s presence and desire to please Him
- Motivating us to honor God in all areas of life
- Developing an attitude of humble obedience to God’s commands
- Enabling true worship by recognizing God’s surpassing worth
The more we comprehend God’s greatness and glory, the more we will stand in awe of Him and revere Him deeply as Creator and Lord.
Walking in God’s Ways Impacts Us By:
- Transforming how we think, speak and act
- Keeping us from harmful paths and filling our lives with good
- Deepening understanding of who God is and what pleases Him
- Enabling us to enjoy the well-lived life God designed for us
- Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth and wisdom
As we walk in God’s wise and righteous ways, we will experience the blessings and favor He promises to the upright and obedient.
Loving God Impacts Us By:
- Deepening our relationship with God
- Increasing our desire to know and enjoy God’s presence
- Motivating us to please God in all we do
- Filling our hearts with joy in who God is
- Stirring passion to share with others who God is
The more we treasure who God is, the more our lives will reflect His goodness, beauty and truth.
Serving God Impacts Us By:
- Reorienting our priorities toward God’s Kingdom purposes
- Infusing greater meaning and fulfillment in daily work
- Developing gifts and talents to use for God’s glory
- Cultivating an others-focused attitude
- Deepening commitment to build God’s Kingdom
Serving God with our whole lives empowers us to join in His redemptive work in the world.
Obeying God Impacts Us By:
- Protecting us from harmful paths
- Freeing us from slavery to sin
- Keeping our lives aligned with God’s good purposes
- Allowing us to live in harmony with how God designed life to work best
- Enabling us to experience God’s blessings for obedience
Obedience to God flows from a heart of love and trust in Him. It leads to blessing rather than burdensome duty.
Conclusion
Deuteronomy 10:12 beautifully summarizes what God asks of His people – to fear, love, serve and obey Him wholeheartedly, as an expression of intimate relationship. When God’s people live this way, our lives flourish and fill with meaning, purpose, joy and fulfillment. God is infinitely worthy of all we have to give. May Deut. 10:12 inspire us to offer God our reverent, loving, obedient service all our days.