Deuteronomy 30:11-14
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

When we are driving down an open road, theoretically, we are free to go as fast as we choose to go. But when we are behind another vehicle, our pace is dictated by that vehicle. We are no longer free to go as fast as we may want to. Outside of this limitation, there is a sign on the side of the road with the posted speed limit. It tells us what we should do, but it doesn’t force us in any physical way to abide by it, and it can be used against us if we disobey it.

God’s Word works in the same way. It is there for our guidance, for our benefit, for our well-being, but it is still our choice whether we will obey it or not. God does not force us to obey Him; He wants us to choose to obey Him. He reminds us through His Spirit as we go along our way what we are supposed to be doing, what He wants us to be doing. He will guide our path and go beside us if we seek His leadership. He will seek after His wandering children and pursue the hearts of unbelievers. But when a heart coldly and consciously rejects Him, that is their choice to make.

God took great care to ensure that His law was known among the people. He reiterated His truths over and over to the children of Israel. Moses and the other prophets would proclaim God’s words to the people for centuries. Then Jesus came and fulfilled the law and proclaimed the truth of the gospel to the world. And God enabled men to write down His words to be preserved in the form of our Bibles to the present day. So, really, we are left without an excuse to know God’s commands and what He expects from us. He brought His Word near and enables us to know it and obey it.

Sometimes we get in such a hurry, grumbling about things in our way or speeding recklessly down the highway of life. Sometimes we develop a prideful attitude of wanting to do whatever we want and think no one can tell us what to do, not even God. But ultimately there is peace in obedience. That’s not to say that our road will always be smooth and easy. After all, going the speed limit does not mean we will never have an accident. But following God’s ways is for our own good. So let’s choose to obey the Word that God has given to us.