[Moses said:] “So remember today and never forget: the LORD is God in heaven and on earth. There is no other god.”

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: DEUTERONOMY 4:39
[Moses said:] “So remember today and never forget: the LORD is God in heaven and on earth. There is no other god.”
TODAY'S READING:
Warning against Idolatry
15“When the Lord spoke to you from the fire on Mount Sinai, you did not see any form. For your own good, then, make certain16 that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all—whether man or woman,17 animal or bird,18reptile or fish.19Do not be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, and the stars. The Lord your God has given these to all other peoples for them to worship.20 But you are the people he rescued from Egypt, that blazing furnace. He brought you out to make you his own people, as you are today.21 Because of you the Lord your God was angry with me and solemnly declared that I would not cross the Jordan River to enter the fertile land which he is giving you.22I will die in this land and never cross the river, but you are about to go across and occupy that fertile land.23Be certain that you do not forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you. Obey his command not to make yourselves any kind of idol,24 because the Lord your God is like a flaming fire; he tolerates no rivals.
25“Even when you have been in the land a long time and have children and grandchildren, do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all. This is evil in the Lord's sight, and it will make him angry.26I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that, if you disobey me, you will soon disappear from the land. You will not live very long in the land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy. You will be completely destroyed.27 The Lord will scatter you among other nations, where only a few of you will survive.28There you will serve gods made by human hands, gods of wood and stone, gods that cannot see or hear, eat or smell.29 There you will look for the Lord your God, and if you search for him with all your heart, you will find him.30When you are in trouble and all those things happen to you, then you will finally turn to the Lord and obey him.31He is a merciful God. He will not abandon you or destroy you, and he will not forget the covenant that he himself made with your ancestors.
32“Search the past, the time before you were born, all the way back to the time when God created human beings on the earth. Search the entire earth. Has anything as great as this ever happened before? Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?33Have any people ever lived after hearing a god speak to them from a fire, as you have?34Has any god ever dared to go and take a people from another nation and make them his own, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt? Before your very eyes he used his great power and strength; he brought plagues and war, worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen.35 The Lord has shown you this, to prove to you that he alone is God and that there is no other.36He let you hear his voice from heaven so that he could instruct you; and here on earth he let you see his holy fire, and he spoke to you from it.37Because he loved your ancestors, he chose you, and by his great power he himself brought you out of Egypt.38As you advanced, he drove out nations greater and more powerful than you, so that he might bring you in and give you their land, the land which still belongs to you.39So remember today and never forget: the Lord is God in heaven and on earth. There is no other god.40Obey all his laws that I have given you today, and all will go well with you and your descendants. You will continue to live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to be yours forever.”
REFLECT:
Israel’s LORD God was a living God, and no image or idol could be made that could represent God. What warnings did Moses give the people concerning idol worship? Reread verses 29-31. What do these verses teach you about God? In what ways have you experienced God’s mercy?
#PRAY
Merciful and loving God, may I never forget that you alone are the Lord God. You rule in heaven and on earth. I worship you and praise your holy name. Amen.