Month: April 2020

Deut 10:12a And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God….
Lord, I’m always asking for flashing neon signs. Thank You for the flashing neon of this chapter. What do You want from me? You spell it out right here (among other places), and I am thankful. You want me to love You, reverence You, so I obey, not out of fear of punishment, but because I love You so much that I don’t want to disappoint You. And I do love You like that, Lord.
Deut 10:12b …to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him….
You want me to be obedient to You because I trust that You know more than I do, that You have my best interests at heart, that what You want me to do is for my good and Your glory. You want me to love You and love others, to be Your hands and feet in this world. You want me to put aside my own way and honestly say “They will be done.” I do love You like that, Lord.
Deut 10:12c …to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your instruction and guidance. Thank You for making Your expectations clear and for loving me so much, despite my humanity, my flaws. Help me draw closer to You every minute of every day, Lord. Amen.
Deut 10:13 …and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
Have a blessed day.

Deut 8:17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
As I was reading Deut 8 today, the saying, “May I never forget, on my best day, that I need God as desperately as I did on my worst day” came to mind. I no longer have any idea where I originally read that quote by Mike Epps, but I definitely still recognize its truthfulness.
Deut 8:18a But remember the LORD your God….
When times are tough, when things are going poorly, I have no trouble remembering that I cannot do life without God. When I’m praying, “Lord, Give me the strength and wisdom for just one more step. Just one more,” I know without a doubt where my strength comes from. I pray that I will always remember Who my strength is, no matter my present circumstances.
Deut 8:18b …for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your strength, Your peace, Your hope. Thank You that when times are tough, I know You are my strength. Help me to always remember that I need You as much on my best day as I do on my worst. Draw me closer. Amen.
Deut 8:18c …and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Have a blessed day.

Deut 7:17 You say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?”
I’ve been studying Ezekiel 37:1-14 with my church this week. These verses from Deut 7 put me in mind of that section of Ezekiel. In both, God is asking them to do something that feels impossible, something that, humanly, they can’t see a logical way to do. Ezekiel is told to prophesy life into the dry bones and the Israelites are told to drive out a nation that is much stronger than they.
Deut 7:18a “But do not be afraid of them….”
But in both cases, God is the one doing the telling. God is the one with the plan, the vision, and the sovereignty to make it happen. With Ezekiel and with the Israelites, God needed them to be willing to trust that God knew what He was doing, and that He could get it done, that all they needed was the strength and faith to do what He asked of them. 
Deut 7:18b “…remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that You don’t need us to understand how You will act, You just need us to do what You are calling us to do. Thank You for understanding our feeble humanity, for loving us fiercely despite our flaws. Thank You for calling us to do our part in faith. Give us the strength to obey. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 7:21 “Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.”
Have a blessed day.

Deut 5:3 It was not with our ancestors that the LORD made this covenant, but with us….
Lord, Thank You for being present, for wanting an active, living relationship with all of Your children. Thank You that “I tried” or “I knew her father or her mother; that’s good enough” is not Your answer when it comes to pursuing us, to being in relationship with us.
Deut 5:4 The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
Lord, Thank You for Your active communication with us, even when we don’t listen like we should. Thank You for the myriad ways daily that You let us know You are with us, that You encourage, guide, and direct us.
Deut 5:6 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for all the chains of slavery You have broken for us. Release us from every bondage, especially the bondage of fear and uncertainty, especially in these troubling times. Help us to turn our hearts and minds to You. Help us to seek You with all that we are and all that we have. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 5:7 “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Have a blessed day

Deut 4:28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
There is an adage that says: Either man says to God, “Thy will be done” or God says to man, “Thy will be done.” Think about that for a moment. Either I follow God’s will, acknowledging His sovereignty, or He lets me have my way and all the chaos that that entails. Jesus, Help me.
Deut 4:29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
But even if I lose my way, demanding my will instead of my Creator’s, all is not lost. God is merciful. He provides me a way back to Him, but I have to seek Him with all that I am and all that I have. I have to put aside my will, my plans, for His. Jesus, Help me.
Deut 4:30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey Him.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for providing me a way back to You. Thank You that You are loving and merciful, that You love me enough to give me what I think I want so that I can realize Your way, Your will, is so much better than anything I can imagine. Draw me closer, Lord. Help me to seek You always. Amen.
Deut 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Have a blessed day.

Deut 3:22 “Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”
Deuteronomy seems to be a book of remembrance. Moses, on the cusp of a promised land he will never enter, is recounting for the Israelites how they got to where they are. It was at times a painful retelling, but God’s presence and faithfulness are abundantly evident throughout. He brought them this far. He’s not going to abandon them now.
Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”
We are on the cusp of a world we have never known. The future is definitely difficult to discern. But if we look back at how we ended up where we are, I know with certainty that even though the retelling might be painful at times, we will see God’s presence and faithfulness abundantly evident through our own stories as well. He’s brought us this far. He’s not going to abandon us now.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this time of stillness and reflection You are calling us to in our own lives. Thank You that when we look at how we got to where we are today, Your love and steadfast presence are obvious. Thank You that You are fighting for us, even now. Help us to be still and know that You are God. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 1:30 The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you….
Have a blessed day.