Category: Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:24a The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God…  

Deuteronomy is in the Old Testament, which means it was pre-Jesus, and when I read it, I can’t help but think of the New Testament, the Pharisees and Sadducees, of all their rule following, of all their righteousness, of how far from God their hearts really were.

Deuteronomy 6:24b …so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.

I’m not saying obeying God’s laws isn’t important, but the Pharisees and Sadducees show how rule following and perceived righteousness alone are not all God is calling us to. It’s not just about following the rules. Jesus tells us to love one another as He has loved us.

Deuteronomy 6:25a And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us… 

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your word, which tells us how to live, which reminds us of pitfalls when rule enforcement and rule following become all that matter. Love matters. Grace matters. Compassion matters. You matter. Help us to live and love more like You. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:25b …that will be our righteousness.”

Have a blessed day.

Deuteronomy 6:20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?”  

Today’s verses bring to mind the fact that God keeps His promises. But what are His promises? To never leave us nor forsake us. To use all things for our good and His glory. Eternal freedom through His Son Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 6:21 …tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

But why would He give so much for us? Because He’s our creator, our parent. He made us. He loves us unconditionally, fiercely, eternally. Just like the Israelites, we have a duty to leave behind a legacy that points future generations to God’s love.

Deuteronomy 6:22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household.  

Precious Savior, I do not deserve Your love. I cannot earn Your love. Yet You lavish me with love and blessings because I am Your deeply loved child. Thank You seems inadequate to express the gratitude in my heart. Help me to “sing of Your love forever.” Help me to tell others about Your glorious gift. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors.

Have a blessed day.

Deuteronomy 6:16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 

My daily devo this morning contained this zinger: “In your private thoughts, you are still trying to order your world so that it is predictable and feels safe.” It goes on to remind us that our eternity will be trouble free and our earthly troubles serve to help us draw closer to God, echoing James 1:2 (Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds….)

Deuteronomy 6:17 Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 

I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one who has trouble embracing hardship. I recognize that it is necessary for spiritual growth. I can look back at my own journey and see that those times when I was at my lowest, I was able to cling to God, to trust God in a way that was not possible during happier times.

Deuteronomy 6:18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 

Precious Savior, I know you want what is best for me. You don’t want me hurting or in pain, but when I am, I am able to see You, hear You, trust You in ways that aren’t possible during happier times. Thank You for using all the moments in my life to draw me closer. Give me strength, even when life is hard. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

Have a blessed day.

Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 

At first reading, it’s easy for me to say that I would never follow other gods. However, looking at the definition of “god,” seeing how varied, how multifaceted the definition is, knowing how insidious the world’s desires can be, I can absolutely see why this caution is necessary.

Deuteronomy 6:14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 

In a graduation speech, David Foster Wallace calls this “what you worship.” He cautions that if you aren’t careful, what you worship can eat you alive. And I think that idea is at the heart of today’s verses. God loves us so much. He knows that if we worship money, power, things, other gods, that it will cost us, it will affect our quality of life, and it will separate us even further from His love, grace, and compassion.

Deuteronomy 6:15a for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God…  

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your fierce, merciful, compassionate love. Thank You that You want what is best for us, that You want us to be in easy communion with You because You know how rich that will make our lives. Help me to worship You alone. Draw me closer. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:15b …and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

Have a blessed day.

Deuteronomy 6:10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 

My daily devo this morning said that God didn’t make us to be self-sufficient. He made us to need Him, daily. I’m ashamed to admit how little I like the idea of not being self-sufficient, of needing anyone or anything. I’d like to say that doesn’t apply to God, but I can’t deny the bristle I felt reading those words this morning. Jesus, help me.

Deuteronomy 6:11a … houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,

But life has taught me that I do need Jesus, so much, every day. And Covid isolation taught me that I do need people, my people, people who love and accept me, and I do need to use the gift of encouragement that God has given me. And all of these things are good. Thank You, Jesus.

Deuteronomy 6:11 …and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 

Lord, the idea of self-sufficiency is so appealing. I don’t want to need anyone. That feels weak. But You have shown me in so many ways that my days are better with You, my days are better with people who love and care about me, with people who need uplifting and encouraging. Help me, always, to be grateful. Help me, always, to seek opportunities to shine Your light. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Have a blessed day.

Deuteronomy 6:1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,  

Rules can be incredibly important. They give structure and boundaries. They give safety. But rules should not be the master, followed no matter the cost, no matter the circumstances. They should be more helpful guidelines than unbending bulwarks.

Deuteronomy 6:2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

Moses states that the Lord directed him to teach the Israelites these rules so that they and their descendants could fear the Lord by keeping His decrees and commands, so that no matter how far they go, they will remember what’s important. The rules were never meant to be the end-all-be-all. Loving God is always the ultimate goal.

Deuteronomy 6:3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

Precious Savior, Sometimes I love rules. They make me feel safe; they give a sense of security and order. But sometimes rules feel incredibly restrictive and sometimes they feel like the ultimate point, following rules just to say we followed them. YOU are the point. Always. Help me to never forget that all Your rules, commandments, guidelines are to help me draw closer to You. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Have a blessed day.