Get Real November 23 Devotional
November 23, 2024
DEUTERONOMY 6:10-12 | 10When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, 12 take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Law arises from love in another sense as well. Law embodies shared values and shared values are the basis of genuine flourishing communities.
A community is, fundamentally, a group with shared norms. The word community is used too loosely today, as if you can form a community based on one shared interest or on a single external feature or internal trait. But a genuine community cannot be formed around race or gender or sexual preferences, for these elements don’t necessitate shared values, common ethics, or a comprehensive view of life and its purposes. The shared idea of “maximizing individual choice” is not a substantive value and cannot suffice to build real community. Belief in freedom itself doesn’t provide enough to sustain life together, even though freedom is crucial to human flourishing and a divine gift. The law of our loving God, which entails obedience to His commands, includes a thick and beautiful set of values and visions for life together.
What threat does God describe for Israel’s community life when they enter the land?
How do you define community?
Pray for folks who won’t belong to a real community.
