Deut 26:16 The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Since Deuteronomy chapter 4, Moses has been reminding the Israelites of the LORD’s commands. Now he reminds them why he was reminding them—so that they can carefully observe those commands with all their heart and with all their soul.
Deut 26:17 You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in obedience to Him, that you will keep His decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to Him.
God created us to praise Him, to obey Him, to glorify Him. And He wants to bless us richly for our obedience and praise. But He will never force us. He wants a rich, intimate relationship with us, and that cannot grow from force.
Deut 26:18 And the LORD has declared this day that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commands.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the ability to choose You. Thank You for considering us Your people, Your treasured possession. Thank You for allowing us the freedom to grow and mature in our relationship with You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 26:19 He has declared that He will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations He had made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as He promised.
Have a blessed day.
Here with me…. (devo reflection)
Deut 25:1 When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty.
I find myself really struggling in these last few chapters of Deuteronomy. I would say I’m having a hard time seeing God, but He’s here, providing rules for His chosen ones so that they understand what is expected of them.
Deut 25:4 Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
Rules are important. But so is compassion, love, and mercy, and I guess that’s what I’m struggling with. We have all the rules in Deut., but we don’t see any compassion, really. Well, we see God’s compassion of not wiping out a disobedient people, but we don’t see compassion within the rules.
Deut 25:5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your presence. Thank You, even when I struggle, that You are here with me. Help me to draw closer to You always, Lord. Help me to shine Your light, even when I am confused or unsettled. Amen.
Deut 25:13 Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light.
Have a blessed day.
Anger and preconceived expectations…. (devo reflection)
Deut 24:8a In cases of defiling skin diseases, be very careful to do exactly as the Levitical priests instruct you….
I found it interesting that my two primary readings today, Deut 24 and 2 Kings 5, both dealt in part with leprosy and healing. When two readings deal with similar themes, it’s often a sign that there is an issue there that needs exploring or addressing within myself. And since leprosy is not a condition I am afflicted with, I’m forced to look more closely at Naaman’s behavior.
Deut 24:8b …You must follow carefully what I have commanded them.
Naaman came to Elisha for help, but clearly he had a preconceived notion of how that help would be given. He expected Elisha to talk with him face to face, and he expected a cure that involved more than “Go and wash in the Jordan.” His anger at not receiving what he expected almost cost him his healing. That is an incredibly sobering thought. Anger and preconceived expectations are both issues for me. I hear You, Lord.
2 Kings 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for pointing out areas that are keeping me from You. Your timing, as always, is impeccable. I hear You. I am listening. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
Have a blessed day.
God IS greater…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 11:23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (NIV)
Deut 23, the chapter I read this morning, is a continued recitation of laws, rules, and expectations. On the cusp of entering the Promised Land, the Israelites are being reminded of what’s expected of them so far as behavior goes. The Israelites are fallibly human, just like all of us, so reminders are important.
Numbers 11:23 The the LORD said to Moses, “Has My arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!” (NLT)
As I did some reading in Numbers this morning, I thought about other reasons why reminders are important. Human beings are forgetful and short sighted. We panic easily at times and we are often quick to forget that God is with us always, especially when confronted with trials. But God IS with us, greater than anything we will ever face. We’d do well to remember that.
Numbers 11:23 The LORD answered, “I can do anything! Watch and you’ll see My words come true.” (CEV)
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Your love, sovereignty, steadfastness. Help us to trust You, to lean into Your presence. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 59:2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
Have a blessed day.
The condition of our hearts…. (devo reflection)
Deut 22:22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die….
Deuteronomy is all about rules, and I am a rule follower, but one thing I’ve noticed about rules is that it can easily become about others. If I am making sure you follow the rules, I’m concerned with your behavior and not my own.
John 8:3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery….
Reading Deut 22 brought to mind John 8. There is a sharp contrast here. Deut is about rules and laws, necessary, especially given the Israelites’ behavior in the wilderness. Jesus brings us grace, mercy, and compassion. He cares about rules, but He cares more about people.
John 8:4-5 ….they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your grace, mercy, and compassion. Thank You that people are more important than strict letter of the law and that You care more about the condition of our hearts than about us policing each other’s behavior. Help us to never lose sight of what’s truly important. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Have a blessed day.
Gifts and talents…. (devo reflection)
Deut 21:23 …You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. (NIV)
Lord, Every good and perfect gift is from You (James 1:17). All that I have, all that I am, all that I can do is Your gift to me. Thank You.
Deut 21:23 …In this way you will prevent the defilement of the land the LORD is giving you as your special possession. (NLT)
Lord, You have given me these gifts and these talents because You love me. Help me to use them to praise You and to shine Your light because I love you.
Deut 21:23 …The land that the LORD your God is giving you must never become unclean. (God’s Word trans)
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder to safeguard these gifts I have been given by You and to use them to glorify and praise You. Thank You for who You are and for who I am in You. Help me to glorify You always. Amen.
Deut 21:23 …You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. (ESV)
Have a blessed day
Fighting for me…. (devo reflection)
Deut 20:1a When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours….
Lord, You know every battle I will ever face. Thank You for being with me always, for fighting for me.
Deut 20:1b …do not be afraid of them, because the LORD God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you.
Lord, Help me to be still in You, to seek You and to know You, to trust You and obey You.
Deut 29:3 …Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.
Lord, Help me to understand that not every battle I think is worth fighting really is worth fighting. Thank You for this day and this scripture and for this unshakable knowledge that You are with me always. Help me draw closer. Help me to be still in You. Amen.
Deut 20:4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.
Have a blessed day.
Our refuge…. (devo reflection)
Deut 19:2-3 …then set aside for yourselves three cities…so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.
Of course it was the commentary that helped me see the connection between the cities of refuge and Jesus this morning. I was being incredibly literal as I read today’s text. But Jesus IS our refuge and strength, and I am eternally grateful for that fact.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
The crucial difference between the cities of refuge and Jesus, again brought to my attention by commentary this morning, is that the cities were only refuge for the innocent. Jesus is a refuge for all of us, no matter our circumstances.
Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your steadfast love and presence. Thank You that You are our refuge and strength, no matter what we’ve done or what we face. Thank You for providing refuge and strength when life overwhelms us. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Peter 5:7 …casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Have a blessed day.
An eternal inheritance…. (devo reflection)
Deut 18:1a The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel.
According to Google, an inheritance is money, property, a title, etc that is received by an heir when the previous holder has died. All the possessions that we work so hard for on this earth, all the things—house, car, “stuff”—cannot go with us when we die. They will be left behind as an inheritance for others.
Deut 18:1b They shall live on the food offerings presented to the LORD, for that is their inheritance.
Maybe it’s age that’s changing my perspective. I use to think that’s why you work—to get stuff. I come from a bit of a hoarder background, where stuff somehow equaled safety. But it doesn’t. Stuff is just stuff—inanimate, solidly fixed to this realm.
Deut 18:2a They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that stuff is and always will be just stuff. There is no safety there, no love, no comfort. Thank You for the reminder that we have an inheritance in You, that Your inheritance is eternal. Help me to let go of anything that doesn’t draw me closer to You. Amen.
Deut 18:2b …the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.
Have a blessed day.
An interesting opportunity during this pandemic…. (devo reflection)
Deut 17:1 Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that had any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to Him.
A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it doesn’t cost you anything on a personal level. If I am cleaning out and giving things to charity, then my giving them to you instead does not constitute sacrifice. God wants our best. It’s got to cost us something to be a worthy sacrifice.
Mark 12:41-42 …Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
I think we are afforded an interesting opportunity during this pandemic to offer to God a sacrifice of praise (Heb 13:15). Times are tough, there is no disputing that fact. So to earnestly praise God, to rejoice in Him in the midst of the chaos and confusion, that is a worthy sacrifice.
Mark 12:43 Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You don’t want our excesses, You want our best, our first fruits, and You are so worthy, Lord. Help us, especially now, to offer You a sacrifice of praise. Draw us closer. Amen.
Mark 12:44 “They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Have a blessed day.