Month: March 2020

Deut 1:29-30 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes….”
Deuteronomy is a recounting by Moses to the Israelites of their journey thus far. They can see the Promised Land from where they are, but Moses will not enter it with them, so he wants to remind them of everything that got them to this point. 
Deut 1:31 “…and in the wilderness. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
Commentary on the chapter posits that the Israelites were not convinced of God’s unfailing love of them and therefore they doubted Him because of their lack of belief. Further, commentary says the Israelites should ask “What would it take to finally convince me that God really loves me?” I think that’s a wonderful question for all of us to ponder.
Deut 1:32-33 “In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, who went ahead of you on your journey….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your unfailing love of us. Forgive us for doubting You, Lord. Help us to love and accept ourselves and each other just as we are so that it is easier for us to truly understand the he depth of Your love for us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 1:34 “When the LORD heard what you said, He was angry….”
Have a blessed day.

Numbers 36:1 The family heads of the clan of Gilead….came and spoke before Moses and the leaders….
This chapter was not what I expected at the end of this 40 year journey. Here they were, perched on the very edge of the Promised Land, listening to concerns of one of the tribes. It is easy to pass off the concerns as trivial, though were it my inheritance in question, I wouldn’t think so. It is easy to say the tribe who brought the concerns was whiny and petulant, though there is nothing in the scripture to support that.
Numbers 36:3 “Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they married into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away.”
The tribe simply had a concern, a valid concern, and they went through proper channels to voice that concern and find a solution. And maybe that is the point. Here on the cusp of the Promised Land, perhaps this is a reminder that life on earth will never be perfect, that there will always be concerns and problems, that there will compromises, that there will be give and take, that it can be handled respectfully and with dignity to all involved.
Numbers 36:5-6 Then at the LORD’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. This is what the LORD commands for Zelophehad’s daughters….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that life on earth will never be perfect, that there will always be issues that require compromise. Thank You for the reminder that we can handle all things with dignity and respect toward all involved. Draw us closer to You and to each other, Lord. Help us to shine Your light. Amen.
Numbers 36:13 These are the commands and regulations the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
Have a blessed day.

Numbers 35:2 “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns.”
Three things strike me about this passage. 1. The LORD gave directions for the inheritance the Israelites received. It wasn’t just, “Here it is. Good luck.” 2. The LORD looked after not only those in high standing, the priests, His priests, but also those who had killed unintentionally. That’s not a group we usually think of God providing for.
Numbers 35:6 “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee….”
3. After all the instruction and direction, the LORD reminded the Israelites the He is with them. He didn’t guide them out of Egypt and then leave them to their own devices. He didn’t get them through 38 years in the wilderness and say good luck. He is dwelling among them, He’s right there, and He reminds them of that fact.
Numbers 35:21 “…or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person shall be put to death; that person is a murderer….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are with us, caring for us, providing for us. Thank You for not leaving us to our own devices, for caring for all—from greatest to least, and for being present always. Draw us closer. Help us to shine Your light. Amen.
Numbers 35:34 “Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”
Have a blessed day.

Numbers 34:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries….
I feel like I am in the last 20 pages of a really good book. I want to gallop through the rest of the story and see how it unfolds. The Israelites can practically taste their inheritance. It’s right there. This chapter feels like a breath, a pause, a grounding, rooting in truth. It feels like a terribly important moment.
Numbers 34:13a Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land as an inheritance….”
The LORD reminds them in the first two verses that the Promised Land is an inheritance, a gift. They didn’t earn it. They didn’t do anything the deserve it. It is a gift. But once it is given, they become stewards of that gift. It is their job to look after the gift, to nurture it and care for it so that it flourishes and can be passed on to others.
Numbers 34:13b “…The LORD has ordered that it be given to the nine-and-a-half tribes….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You have gifted us so much in this world—not because we earned it or deserve it but because You love us so deeply. Help us to remember that we are stewards of Your gifts. Help us to nurture and care for these gifts so that we can pass them on to future generations. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 34:16-17 The LORD said to Moses, “These are names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazer the priest and Joshua son of Nun.”
Have a blessed day. 

Numbers 33:2 At the LORD’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey….
I sometimes I do a project with my seniors called “Where are you going, Where have you been?” It is designed to help them look back and see how they got to where they are now and to help them look forward and begin to figure out where they want to go next. On the edge of the Promised Land, I feel like God is leading the Israelites to a similar type of reflection. 
Numbers 33:51-52 “‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants…. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.’”
Specifically, He wants them to remember the 38 years spent wandering in the wilderness, waiting for the faithless generation to die out. His last directive to the Israelites in this chapter is to wipe out the inhabitants of Canaan, their carved images, and their idols or to live with the consequences.
Numbers 33:55a “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides….’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder of the need to look back at where we’ve come from and look forward to where we are going. Help us not to lose sight of how far we’ve come, and help us not to take our eyes off of You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 33:55b “‘…They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.’”
Have a blessed day. 

Numbers 32:5 “If we have found favor in your eyes….let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”
In my church, the band will sometimes play Pink Floyd’s “On the Turning Away” during prayer time. I have always found the song to be haunting, but it truly wasn’t until this moment, this scripture, that I see how incredibly apt this song is to our daily walk. 
Numbers 32:7 “Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over the land the LORD has given them?”
Every moment of every day we have the choice to turn toward God and His people, to be His hands and His feet to the “pale and downtrodden” or to turn away, to turn a blind eye, to stay content in our personal comfort. But it’s easy to get trapped in the mindset that someone else will help, that it’s ok if we turn away just this once. It’s a slippery slope.
Numbers 32:11 “‘Because they have not followed Me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—'”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this understanding of the daily choice You place before us. In my comfort, in my discomfort, in my own insecurities, help me always turn toward You and Your people, to be Your hands and feet, to shine Your light. Help there to be no more turning away. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 32:14-15 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the LORD even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following Him, He will again leave all this people in the wilderness….”
Have a blessed day.

Numbers 30:2 “When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”
We live in a disposable society. Nothing really is seen as permanent or lasting. Unfortunately, that philosophy seems to apply to our promises as well. If it’s easy to keep, the promise will *probably* be kept. If the going gets tough, it could just as easily be tossed aside.
Numbers 30:3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge….”
But when I think of vows or pledges, I think of my wedding vows, of the pledge I made before God and my family, the pledge that included “for better or for worse, in sickness or in health, till death do us part.” That pledge was not made lightly. And it’s not a vow I ever intend to walk away from.
Numbers 30:6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself…”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this opportunity to think about pledges and vows. Help us to be an honorable people, Lord. Help us to give and keep our word as a way to honor You and each other. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 30:10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath….”
Have a blessed day.