And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. In the end, after all the laws and the rituals and the commands, Moses asks: what does God actually want? Fear. Obedience. Love. Service. Not perfection. Not flawlessness. Not that you never make mistakes. Just that you orient yourself toward God. That you walk in his direction. That your heart is his. I think about how complicated we make faith. We add so many requirements. We judge people based on which versions of the Bible they use, how they pray, whether they worship a certain way. But Moses is saying: God wants your heart. God wants you afraid in the best sense, meaning reverent and humble. God wants you walking in his direction. God wants your love and your service. Everything else is secondary.
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