‘Worship the Lord your God’ (:25).
Fortunately we do not have to form our own opinion about what exactly is ‘worshiping God’, for in this passage it is explained clearly: ‘listen carefully, do all that I say, do not bow down before idols, do not follow the practices of unbelievers, even prevent these practices.’ Is this not entirely different from how we, as a rule, practice worshiping God? For in our view it is: go to church on Sunday, give everyone his fair share, do what is right and proper in our own eyes…
What God calls ‘worshiping’ can only come true if we come to fear Him: stand in childlike awe before Father. Our daily religious practice is, in fact, a terribly willful interpretation of His words. This is why sin not only sneaked into our lives, but even is reigning as king.
When we stop following our own opinion and again feel true reverence for the living God, then we will shun evil and receive healing. Like the author of Proverbs says: ‘This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.’ This sounds very physical, but actually the word ‘bones’ might better be translated as ‘inner person’, ‘core’, or ‘soul’.
If we give up our rebellion by listening to God and doing what He says, then this will heal our souls. This is a hard, even impossible command. But if we take this command seriously, God approaches us: He has sent Jesus Christ Who took down the barricade of sin by His death on the cross. Anyone who gives up his own wisdom and longs to worship God, will experience deliverance from sin and will receive the power of the Holy Spirit. In this power he will obey God, and so he will be healed.