Deut 16:10 Then celebrate … by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.
As I was reading this morning’s chapter, this question came to mind: Do I praise God in proportion to the blessings He has given me? Sadly, the answer is no. Not always, not most days, not nearly often enough. And these long days of quarantine, where every little annoyance is amplified, these days aren’t helping me any toward that end.
Deut 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.
The humanity in me wants to castigate myself for these transgressions, to beat myself up for my failures, but to give in to that desire would mean that there is no hope of change, and with my precious Savior, I ALWAYS have hope. Thank You, Jesus!
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your blessings and the hope that can only yet always be found in You. Thank You for the many blessings in my life, Lord. Help me to rejoice in You always, as a gift to thank You for Your sovereignty and love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Habakkuk 3:18 …yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Have a blessed day.
To seek and to see the blessings…. (devo reflection)
Deut 15:4a However, there need be no poor people among you….
Lord, You know that there are more ways to be poor than just monetarily. And while monetary issues may be much different now, those lacking joy, hope, peace, compassion, aren’t much different, I suspect.
Deut 15:4b …for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance….
Lord, This is a difficult time, an unprecedented time. There is fear and uncertainty; there is economic hardship. Help us to see, however, that You can, will, and do still richly bless us in many ways if we only have the eyes to see. There is still hope to be found, Your peace and compassion. Help us to seek and see these gifts.
Deut 15:4c …He will richly bless you….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are still sovereign and still present with us even now, even through this. Help us to seek and to see the blessings that are all around us if we only look carefully. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 15:5 …if only you fully obey the LORD your God…
Have a blessed day.
His own special treasure…. (devo reflection)
Deut 14:2 …the LORD has chosen you to be His treasured possession.
Lord, As someone who often struggles with self-esteem, this scripture is a beautiful gift. Thank You for considering me Your treasure. Help me to live confidently as Your daughter.
Deut 7:6 …the LORD your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure.
Lord, Be with all those who struggle, who see themselves as less than, who see the perfection of social media imagery and feel they can’t ever live up. Help them to see themselves—help us to see each other—as You see us: Your own special treasure, fiercely loved exactly as we are.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people…God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for calling us out of our darkness and into Your glorious light. Help us to live as sons and daughters of the one true King. Help us never to forget who we are and Whose we are. Thank You that we are Yours. Amen.
Eph 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you….
Have a blessed day.
Hold fast to Him…. (devo reflection)
Deut 13:4a It is the LORD your God you must follow….
The part of Deut 13:4 that really grabs me is the very last part, “…hold fast to Him.” It brings to mind the song “On Christ the solid Rock I Stand.” The words immediately following the title verse are “…All other ground is sinking sand.”
Deut 13:4b …and Him you must revere….
That is such an apt description of current times. Every time I hear the news or see an article or social media post, it feels startling and unsettling, a world of sinking sand. But I am not depending on the world. I am holding fast to God, standing firm on the Solid Rock. Thank You, Jesus.
Deut 13:4c …Keep His commands and obey Him….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your sovereignty, no matter the condition of this world. Thank You for the reminder to hold fast to You, that You are our Refuge and Strength. Thank You that we can say with certainty, “He is risen. He is risen indeed.” Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 13:4d …serve Him and hold fast to Him.
Have a blessed day.
Rejoice in the LORD…. (devo reflection)
Deut 12:12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God….
If God never did anything else for me save sacrifice His only Son so that I could be restored to a right relationship with Him, I would still have reason to praise His name for the rest of my life. But I am so deeply human, so often driven by my fickle feelings that I don’t always, maybe don’t often, praise Him as I should, as He deserves.
1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice at all times….
But God doesn’t want empty praise. He wants praise that overflows from a thankful, grateful, devoted heart, even when it’s hard. And, y’all, sometimes life is so hard—global pandemic, freak accident or illness, death of loved one—hard. A friend once related a story about her aunt. I don’t remember all the details, but she had dealt with sickness and death of several family members, and when she was told of yet another death, her response was, “God has been so good to me.” THAT is praise from a grateful heart.
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to rejoice always in You. Thank You for the example of my friend’s aunt, who rejoiced in Your blessings, even in the midst of her loss. Help us to rejoice in You always, even when it’s difficult. Thank You for Your abiding love. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD….
Have a blessed day.
Love is a choice…. (devo reflection)
Deut 11:1 Love the LORD your God….
Love is a choice. It’s not always an easy choice, but it’s a choice nonetheless. That’s why God doesn’t force us to love Him. He could, but He wants us to choose Him. Love is also a daily choice. Sometimes we don’t FEEL like doing the loving thing. Sometimes we are angry or stressed or fed up. And we can choose to give in to our feelings (spoiler alert: that never ends well) or we can choose to act in love. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not easy, but it IS our choice.
Deut 11:13 …love the LORD your God….
God chose to send Jesus to save this fallen is world. He could have wiped everyone out and tried again, but He chose love. Jesus chose to obey His Father out of love. “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). It wasn’t an easy choice. It wasn’t without huge sacrifice. But Jesus chose love.
Deut 11:22 …love the LORD your God….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that love is a choice that we make day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. Thank You for the reminder that love isn’t always an easy choice. Sometimes it requires great sacrifice. Thank You for the reminder to love others as You have loved us. Help us to always use Your love for us as our guide as we strive to love each other. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 11:22 …love the LORD your God, …walk in obedience to Him, …hold fast to Him….
Have a blessed day.
Love like that…. (devo reflection)
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.
With us in this fight…. (devo reflection)
Deut 9:1 Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you….
The first sentence of commentary on today’s verse says, “God was leading Israel into something too big for them. It was a challenge they could only meet if they trusted in God.” These lines immediately brought to mind this global pandemic that we are experiencing. It is too big for us. It is a challenge we can meet only if we trust in God.
Deut 9:3a But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes ahead of you like a devouring fire….
But I’m left wondering how I can trust in God during this in a way that will make any difference, that will have an impact. Psalm 118:24 immediately sprang to mind when I asked that question: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” followed quickly by Luke 10:26: “‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Deut 9:3b …He will destroy them; He will subdue them before you….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for speaking to my heart this morning. We are in the midst of an incredibly frightening global pandemic. This situation is way too big for us. Thank You for Your reminders to rejoice always and to love You and love others. I don’t know how these things will make a difference in this fight, but I trust that You do. Help us not to underestimate the power of rejoicing, of loving, of trusting in You. Thank You for being with us in this fight. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 9:3c …And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.
Have a blessed day.
My strength…. (devo reflection)
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.
Little by little…. (devo reflection)
Deut 7:22 The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.
Patience is a virtue that I have a tremendously hard time with. I don’t mind being patient as long as it can happen right now. But that’s not how God works. He often works little by little, bringing us slowly to changes and understandings for our good and His glory.
Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year….
Sometimes, like in Deut 7:22, He tells why His way, little by little, is the best way. More often, He just asks us to trust that He knows what He’s doing, even if we don’t understand.
Exodus 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You see the bigger picture, that You have a plan, that You know what You are doing, even if we don’t understand. Help us to keep walking in faith, Lord, even when we are uncertain or afraid. Help us to trust and obey, to know that You are making a way, little by little. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Have a blessed day.