And now,
Israel,
what does the LORD your God require of you?
He requires only that you fear the LORD your God,
and live in a way that pleases him,
and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.
For the LORD your God
is the God of gods and Lord of lords.
He is the great God,
the mighty and awesome God,
who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.
You must fear the LORD your God
and worship him and cling to him…
He alone is your God,
the only one who is worthy of your praise…
So obey the commands of the LORD your God
by walking in his ways and fearing him.
…be sure and praise the LORD your God
for the good land he has given you.
But that is the time to be careful!
Beware that in your plenty
you do not forget the LORD your God…
But don’t be afraid…
Just remember what the LORD your God did…
Remember…
remember the miraculous signs and wonders…
No,
do not be afraid…
for the LORD your God is among you,
and he is a great and awesome God.
…The LORD is our God,
the LORD alone.
And you must love the LORD your God
with all your heart,
all your soul,
and all your strength.
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly
to these commands that I am giving you today.
Repeat them again and again to your children.
Talk about them when you are at home
and when you are on the road,
when you are going to bed
and when you are getting up.
But we are citizens of heaven,
where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
And we are eagerly waiting for him to return
as our Savior.
He will take our weak mortal bodies
and change them into glorious bodies like his own,
using the same power
with which he will bring everything under his control.
Peace be with you,
dear brothers and sisters,
and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
give you love with faithfulness.
May God’s grace be eternally upon all
who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray in the Spirit at all times
and on every occasion.
Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers
for all believers everywhere.
And pray for me,
too.
Ask God to give me the right words
so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan…
pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him…
Therefore,
put on every piece of God’s armor
so you will be able to resist the enemy
in the time of evil…
the belt of truth…
the body armor of God’s righteousness…
the peace that comes from the Good News…
the shield of faith…
salvation…
and take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
A final word:
Be strong in the Lord
and in his mighty power.
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to
to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies,
but against evil rulers and authorities
of the unseen world,
against mighty powers in this dark world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
