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.
Not My will…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 22:12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
I was confused when I read this chapter initially. It seemed like God gave Balaam permission to do something and then got mad when he did, which made no sense, as God is not fickle nor irrational. Commentary helped me make sense of what I was reading. Balaam asked. God said no. Balaam was offered more money and REALLY wanted to say yes, so he asked again, and God said no. Again. But more money was offered, so Balaam asked a third time. God said, “Go but only say what I tell you.” His answer every time was very clear, yet Balaam kept asking, so He allowed Balaam to go, testing his faithfulness.
Numbers 22:16-17 They came to Balaam and said: “…Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely….”
I am reminded very clearly of Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Balaam is essentially advocating for the exact opposite: “I hear You tell me no, but I’m going to keep asking in hopes you’ll see things my way.”
Numbers 22:20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for these comparisons. Thank You for showing us the humble heart of Your servant Jesus, a heart worth emulating. Thank You also for showing us Balaam’s heart, which is selfish and self-serving. Help us to root out that side of ourselves and humble ourselves before You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 22:21-22 Balaam… saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him.
Have a blessed day.
Everything I have is yours…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 18:7 …I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift….
In Numbers 18, God shows the priests and Levites that the priesthood is a gift. By virtue of their office and service to God, God gives them access to the gifts given to Him. Much is asked of them, but He gives them much in return.
Numbers 18:9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire…
Numbers 18 puts me in mind of the story of the prodigal son. When the prodigal returns, the father kills the fattened calf to celebrate, and the older son, the one who remained faithful, is jealous. But the father says, “My son…you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:31). Being in God’s presence is a gift and allows us access to Him—His love, mercy, grace—for longer than just a single celebration.
Numbers 18:12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the first fruits of their harvest.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that to be in a loving relationship with You is a precious gift, which grants us access to Your throne, Your presence, Your mercy. Help us to live as children of the One True King. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 18:14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours.”
Have a blessed day.
Echoes…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses….
I clearly see a parallel in Numbers 12 between Moses and Jesus. I was surprised when commentary didn’t mention the similarities. First, like Jesus, Moses does not spring to his own defense when he is falsely accused. He knows who he is and trusts God to know his heart. Jesus’s response, found in all four gospels, to Pilate’s question about whether He is king of the Jews is simply, “You say that I am….” Moses simply doesn’t answer his accusers at all.
Numbers 12:7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.
The first words Moses speaks are in Numbers 12:13, where he prays for the healing of Miriam’s leprosy, a condition brought on her as punishment for her false accusation, reminding me of Jesus, as He was dying, praying for the soldiers casting lots for His clothes. “Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Numbers 12:13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the echo of Jesus’s example that I see in Moses’s behavior. Thank You for the reminder to trust that You know who I am, even when I am maligned by others. Thank You for the love and hope that comes from praying for others, even those who persecute me (Matt 5:44). Help me to shine Your light, spread Your peace, love, and hope through my actions and reactions. Help me never to lose sight of the fact that You know my heart and You will fight for me (Exodus 14:14). Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 12:15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
Have a blessed day.
Resources and relationships…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 33:2-3 “I will send an angel before you….But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
As I read Exodus 33, I am reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son. In that story, the prodigal demanded and was given the resources of his father, but he deprived himself of a relationship with his father. The older brother, angry at the celebration the for wayward son’s return, is told, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:32).
Exodus 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you….’”
Resources and relationships are both vitally important. But God is angry at the Israelites for their disobedience. For their protection, to keep Himself from destroying them in His anger, He sends an angel but does not go Himself. He gives the resources but pulls back on the relationship.
Exodus 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that calling You our Savior means more than Your resources at our disposal. It means we are in relationship with You. That relationship is vital to our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Help us to crave relationship with You. Draw us closer, Lord. Be with us always. Amen.
Exodus 33:14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Have a blessed day.
‘Us’ and ‘them’…. (devo reflection)
Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
I’ve mentioned before that a dear friend once said, “Any time we draw a line between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ God is always on the other side.” And the Bible very clearly states that anger in your heart is just as big a sin as murder, and yet, I still read Luke 15:7 and immediately lump myself in with the 99 righteous. Except I’m pretty sure the 99 are all angels because, bless our hearts, those of us who slog around on earth are so fallible.
Luke 15:31 “‘Son, you are always with me…and all that is mine is yours.’”
Yet I don’t see Luke 15 as condemnation. I see it as hope. God knows my heart, my struggles. He knows my weaknesses. Yet He pursues me relentlessly and rejoices when my heart centers fully on Him. His gift of grace has no strings. He only needs me to open my hands, open my heart, and receive it.
Luke 15:32 “‘But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for calling me to this scripture, for loving me and pursuing me, even when I fail to see my own worth in You. Thank You for rejoicing when even one rests securely in Your grace. Help us never forget how much we need You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Luke 15:10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Have a blessed day.
On barriers and intimacy…. (devo reflection)
Matt 7:2 “Do not judge, lest you should be judged.”
This morning I had to get my oldest to his team bus before they left for a meet. At bedtime last night, after promising McD’s if he’d get on up and out, I realized his running shoes were in my classroom, which meant they had to be retrieved before we made it to the bus. And the drive-thru line was moving at a sloth-like pace. And the lady who ordered AFTER me in the other drive-thru lane did NOT let me into the queue first, as etiquette dictates. So when I saw her church magnet on the back of her car, I had some not-too-Christian thoughts about the state of her relationship with Jesus in light of her cutting me off in line. Jesus, Help me.
Heb 13:1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
I saw a 3D bar graph yesterday on social media: Sin as humans see it, reaching like skyscrapers into the city skyline, bigger sins being, obviously, taller, and sin as God sees it, from the top, exactly the same, all barriers to an intimate relationship to Him. This morning, as my son was disembarking, on time, to board the bus, it hit me how much of a barrier MY attitude had just been. I was stressed, worried about getting everything accomplished before time to be at the bus, and MY attitude, so far from loving and charitable, caused a huge barrier between me and my Savior. Jesus, Help me!
Heb 13:3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that I need to make sure MY heart, MY attitude are right, regardless of how others are acting. You want all of Your beloved children to share a close relationship with You. Help me to live and love in such a way, even in times of stress, that I don’t hinder that intimacy. Draw me closer. Amen.
Luke 6:37 …Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Have a blessed day.
Lost and found…. (devo reflection)
Luke 15:8 “…what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light the lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?”
This past Friday, during 4th block, I lost the key to the quiz my students were taking. I had it in my hands at the beginning of the period, and when I went to gather the completed quizzes and stick the key on top, I couldn’t find it. I retraced my steps. I looked into folders where I had placed other things. I looked on my podium and my desk to no avail. Eventually, after retracing my steps twice, I found it, without having to tear the room completely apart or make a new one. I was incredibly relieved.
Luke 15:9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”
This hunt and the relief at finding the key illustrated so clearly for me the parables in Luke 15. I was missing a test key—nothing valuable or irreplaceable, and I was still incredibly relieved and thankful when it was found. I can just imagine Jesus’s joy when one of His deeply loved children—all of whom are both priceless AND irreplaceable to Him—returns to Him. He doesn’t care one bit if that life belongs to a king or a pauper. What’s important to Him is that life is HIS beloved child, and He rejoices mightily. Thank You, Jesus.
Luke 15:10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your fierce and unending love for Your children. Thank You that You see our value and worth because we are Yours. Help us not to define our value through the eyes of this world. Help us to see each other as You see us. Help us to understand our worth in You and to come home to You if we have wandered. Draw us all closer. Amen.
Luke 15:32 “We have to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!”
Have a blessed day.
Complete faith…. (devo reflection)
James 2:17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a teacher who changed my life. She believed in me before I could believe in myself, and I knew from the age of 15 that I was created to be a teacher. I wanted to do for others what she did for me. And I love my job, but the re-entry from summer to a new school year keeps getting more difficult. This year I feel oppressed by a cloud of grumpiness I just can’t shake. James 2:17 really hit me this morning because, while I have complete faith God has me just where He needs me, I don’t feel that with this “cloud of grumpy,” that I am doing my part in the way that He has called me to do. Jesus, Help me!
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Lord, I don’t know why I’m struggling so at the beginning of this school year, but I am certain that 1. where You have me is exactly where You need me and 2. my attitude MUST change. Help me to set aside my grumpiness so that I can give these young people my best. Help me to encourage, support, and love them as they get their feet under them and move forward toward their dreams. Help me to push them outside of their comfort zones while helping them to see how much strength they have within them. Grant me Your strength and Your peace as I do Your work.
Heb 3:15 As has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that You are not happy with my current attitude and neither am I. Thank You that we can change our attitudes and our perspectives, even if we can’t change our circumstances. Thank You for a job I enjoy, one that makes a difference. Thank You for Your love and support as I carry out Your will. Draw me closer. Help me shake my attitude so that I can live Your joy. Amen.
John 1:15 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Have a blessed day.
Walking humbly with my precious Savior…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on firm footing. (NLT)
I recently saw an image on social media which has had more of an impact than I imagined. It was an image of a young girl clutching a beloved stuffed animal. Jesus stood in front of her with His hand out. Behind His back was a grander version of the girl’s prized possession. There was a caption, but I don’t remember it. The gist was that Jesus wanted her to give up something she loved dearly, and in return, He had something even better for her. What sticks with me, though, are the tears in her eyes, the clear love she has for the object, and the fact the He wants her to surrender it to Him. Even seeing something bigger and better behind His back, my immediate question is still “Why? Why, Lord, would You ask this of her?” It is absolutely the wrong question. I understand that.
Psalm 143:10 You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let Your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path. (CEV)
Micah 6:8 reminds us that the LORD requires of us “…to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Walking humbly with my precious Savior means putting aside my deep need to know the why behind life’s actions and saying instead, “I know You want this of me. Teach me how. Help me to make Your will for my life MY will for my life, even if it hurts, even if it means letting go of something I love deeply. I know what I gain in return, if I act according to Your will, will be far beyond what You ask me to surrender.”
Luke 22:42 “…yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the image that sparked this reflection, for the difficult spaces You lead us to and always lead us through. Help me to walk humbly with You, deferring to Your fierce love and deep mercy. Give me wisdom and discernment to know what You are calling me to, and grant me Your strength and Your peace as You shepherd me through. Draw me closer. Amen.
Matt 25:23 “…Well done, good and faithful servant….”
Have a blessed day.