The command that I give you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far off. It is not in heaven that you should say: who will go up to heaven for us? It is not beyond the sea that you should say: who will cross the sea for us? The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart.
Moses is saying: don't make this more complicated than it is. The command to obey God is right here. It's not mysterious. It's not impossible. It's in your mouth - you can speak it. It's in your heart - you can will it. It's available.
I notice people often make faith seem distant and impossible. God wants something you can't do. God requires something you can't understand. It's all very mysterious and you just have to trust.
But Moses is saying the opposite. The command is near. Obedience is possible. It's not about superhuman achievement. It's about aligning your mouth and your heart with what God wants.
I'm starting to think that real obedience is simpler than we make it. Love God. Love your neighbor. Stop lying. Stop stealing. Stop being cruel. These aren't mysteries. They're clear. What's hard is not understanding what God wants. It's actually doing it when it costs something.
So Moses is right. The command isn't too hard. It's not too far. I know what I need to do. The problem is I don't want to do it sometimes. That's not a mystery problem. That's a will problem. And that's actually something I can do something about.
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