God Battles All Our Giants

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 -  Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky.  The people are strong and tall--Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: "Who can stand up against the Anakites?"  But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.

 

They were camped…ready to cross the great river Jordan…into the Promised Land. Moses wanted to be very honest about the giants that lived there…. the strong people that lived in even stronger cities…but he also wanted them to know that Jehovah had already made plans to wipe them out….to go before them and devour the land. This would be the easiest fight they had ever fought…because God was doing all the fighting.

 

New land…new start…Moses spoke to the people he loved and led for 40 years…of hope...of faith…of leaving fear behind…and grasping the promise of God.  He wanted them to grasp the full promise that God would fight for them and drive out even the giants of great walled cities.  It would happen quickly…as God had promised…just because he made a promise to Abraham so many years ago.

 

We all have our giants to fight.  Some of us have been battling on our own for way more than forty years….and some of us will see them for them first time today. The giants don’t look like people anymore…they manifest themselves in sickness…and loneliness….and fear of the unknown.  Some giants are the baggage of many years of abuse….or the fog we retreat into with alcohol or drugs…because the pains of the past are too horrible to feel without a bit of numbing.

 

Satan has fortified the giants in well planned …walled cities…imaginary only to our eyes…for our hearts feel the brick walls as Satan tricks us into stopping our fight…of giving into the world and planting our feet on the East side of the Jordan…and just sitting there…arms empty of the promises God is waiting to give us when we accept God’s hand…and begin to move forward with his help.

 

It’s clear here folks…God has already created the battle plan…he is just waiting for us…to take his hand…and follow him into a great battle...where he will destroy every sickness…every heart filled with loneliness….every fear that keeps us bound to our giant.  God is waiting on us to sound the battle cry…that we believe in his power to save us from anything Satan has us trapped in….and take those first steps toward him in faith.  He will do the rest…devour them like a fire consumes it’s fuel of wood or gas or coal.

 

Those first steps are scary…I admit….but the spoils of this war are so great you can’t afford to miss out.  The peace and joy that consumes your heart as those giants leave your presence…well no words truly describe it. God’s promise to hold you in the palm of his hand…and carry you through anything he allows you to face is just a New Years’ resolution away. I sure can’t think of any better promise to make this New Year ’s Eve…than to let go of my remaining giants…and let God battle them right out of my life…for good.

 

Father…you are so wonderful…and I thank you for the promise of a complete life…with no giants to torment me or trick me into the things of this world. I thank you first for the giants you have already battled out of my life …and I ask your help to identify the giants that I know I still need to battle…for Satan has tricked this old woman for many years….and those remaining giants will remove any power he still has over my heart.  Help me this morning to grab hold of your hand…and let you uncover the giants hidden deep within my soul…so you can devour them…and subdue Satan …so I can move forward with your plan for my life.  Amen.

Thank God ....Grow in Peace

Deuteronomy 8:10-14 -  When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.  Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,  and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

 

Like a mom who watches her kids leave the house for the night…Moses tells the people to be very careful as they embrace the wonderfully rich and wealthy land God is going to give them.  He understood the pride wealth sometimes produces…for he lived in wealth once….as the Pharaoh’s son.  He told them to praise God for each good thing he gave them as they entered the land…so they would always remember where the gifts came from.

 

When earthly wealth is piled upon us…we are tempted to forget the good things of God. We let the pride of ownership sidetrack us from the true reason God blessed us with the wealth in the first place.  Jesus said himself that it was very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 19:24…maybe that is one of the reasons his birth and life was so humble.

 

I remember as a child taking the time to write thank you notes to everyone who had given me a gift that year. I remember the feeling of sweetness it gave me to jot down a few words to the family and friends to let them know just how much I would enjoy the gift they gave me. I never thought about doing the same thing with the great gifts God gave me….and he has given me plenty.  And I admit…there really are no words to thank him for the greatest gift he gave us….his son that holy Christmas night….in human flesh…yet with the power to be completely obedient…and walk with his father for 33 years as a perfect lamb.

 

There really are no words to thank Jesus for the gift he gave me ethier….to follow his father’s directions and rules so perfectly that he could become the sacrifice for my sins. He lived a life based on service to the father…never worrying about where his next meal would come from…or what he would do when his sandals wore out.  He did not have to have matching shoes for every outfit…or jewelry to go with every top in his closet. He didn’t even have a car…let alone the newest on the lot…he walked everywhere he went. He didn’t worry about anything…he knew that his father would give him just what he needed…at the exact moment he needed it.

 

Just when I think I have gotten a handle on the materialism thing….this passage reminds me of just how selfish I still am….it seems that I am always wanting something new…thinking that the things he has already given me are not enough.  I can justify just about any purchase if I think about it long enough. Maybe I should just sit down and write God a long thank you note…if I can even remember at 54 years of life everything I haven’t already thanked him for….so that he can keep humbling me…and reminding me that every good and perfect thing comes from above…like James 1:17 says.

 

You see Moses had learned that inner peace doesn’t come from things…it comes from the relationship we build with God. We have an even easier time that Moses...because we have three people to build a relationship with… God…his son Jesus….and the precious Holy Spirit he sent.  Moses was trying to tell his precious friends he was leaving soon…not to forget to thank God and always remember to guard their hearts against pride.  That obedience to God would result in some pretty awesome inner peace if they got it right…the kind of peace that allowed Moses to stay on that mountain and die…knowing God was going to take care of his family…like he had taken care of him for 120 years.

 

Father…I thank you this morning for every good gift you give me daily…for life…for breath…for a home with a warm cozy bed. I thank you for all the Christmas gifts…from the simplest homemade card from a student…to the sweet new ornament for the memory tree I put up every year… to the gift card to eat at Cracker Barrel many times from my sweet parents. I thank you for the inner peace that is developing in my soul…because I know these awesome gifts are from people that you are molding into special people…with special purpose….just as you are molding me to do a work for you some day.  Show me how to use the good gifts you have given me to continue to spread your love to others.  Help me to never worry about my life here on Earth…but to depend on you for what I need…when I need it.  Help me to be obedient…to follow all you rules and tap into that sweet inner peace you gave Moses….and Paul…and David...and Jesus….so I can complete the work you sent me here to do. Amen.

Daily Bits And Pieces of the Whole...as God Decides

Deuteronomy 7:21-27 -  Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. 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. But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them.  The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God.

 

Encamped beside the Jordan river…poised to enter and devour the wonderful land the Lord had promised to give them…Moses explained to them that the land would not be immediately theirs.  They would need to destroy 7 great and powerful nations…all the carved images contained in each…and every single human that had learned to depend on other things besides Jehovah.  It was a task that would happen little by little….so that the terrain would not be overtaken by the wild animals that roamed the acreage. God was very specific…nothing could remain of the nations that worshiped other Gods…least the Israelites be ‘ensnared’ by their ways… forgetting the God that brought them here.

 

They were told to not be afraid…to march forward with confidence and the power that God would give them as they embarked on each battle. They were to save no one…every last child….woman...man…king…and servant of the 7 nations was to be completely wiped out. The silver and gold from the idols in their homes was to be burned in the fires of destruction….nothing kept….no trace of the evil that existed in the great land God had promised them.

 

Now…allow me a sidebar for just a moment…for there is meaning in the fact that I started writing this at 7:30…and it is now 5:13 as I pick up the task.  While I was able to write and post in spite of my chaperone duties yesterday at our annual youth retreat in Pigeon Forge…this morning only allowed me enough time to get started.  I found myself quickly distracted by goodbyes….a visit with a friend from home on the way out of town…then a coffee and pit stop where there was no wi-fi…and of course by then I was totally distracted and gave in to a few shopping stops.

 

Just like God to allow Life to test me today…the small pieces of my day merging now into one message that God doesn’t always hand us everything we need at one time.  He allowed life to distract me for a bit today…and thankfully he just wouldn’t leave my mind when I got home till I sat down to finish what he started this morning. Just like the Israelites…he did not give me a whole post this morning… he allowed the thoughts to mellow in my brain all day…as they mingled with the task of driving the two hours home.

 

God doesn’t always lay out for us our entire schedule for our life at one time.  He knows exactly what will distract us…what will scare us into freezing ourselves from making any more progress in our walk with him.  So he gives us just what he knows we can handle…and sometimes…like today…he keeps us focused enough on him to remember we still had work to do. Other times…when he knows the things around us will be too much for us ...he calls for us to completely destroy the things around us that might take our eyes off of him just a bit too long…long enough for Satan to trick us into his snare…and blind us from God’s will for our life.

 

Father…I thank you for the goodness of your mercy…for the way that you alone can see the future…and how my heart will react to everything I am exposed too.  Reveal to me the things around me that could keep me from you….and give me the courage and strength to destroy them before they trap my heart…and trick me into to thinking that you are too far away to help me.  Keep me focused on you….so I can receive my daily portion of the vision you have for my future.  Show me how to love you with so much passion that even Satan can’t get near to my heart. Amen.

Love Jehovah...The Only God!

Deuteronomy 6:3-9  -  Hear, O 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 fathers, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

Moses continues to pour out his heart to the children of Israel….as he tells them how important it is that they walk daily with the Lord. After all…these rules were not new to the people of Israel. They had known God for forty years now.  It was time they took their love to the next level…and made sure that the next generation was taught the importance of God’s love in their lives. It was time they amplified the love they had built for God over the last 40 years …and made very sure the miracles he sustained them with were never forgotten.

The very words written here are very clear.  We are to love Jehovah…the only God…with everything in our being… he is to be the passion in our hearts…our minds….our very soul.  We are to love him so much that his very rules are imprinted on our hearts. We are to teach them to our children…talk about them as we go about our day…and keep them evident in our homes.  God’s love should color everything about us…it should be just as evident when we shop for groceries…as it is when our hands are raised in worship on Sunday morning in church.

These great verses speak of our need to not just love God on the surface…but to truly reverence him…to have such a great feeling of profound awe and respect…that God is first in everything we do. The constant thoughts in our heart about his great love for us then drives us to put into action everything piece of wisdom he reveals from his word.  The wisdom becomes embedded into our hearts…and becomes a part of our very nature.  We can’t help but include him in everything we do…he becomes the love of our lives….that we simply can’t wait to talk to in the morning…and can’t lay our head down to rest without saying goodnight.  We find ourselves thinking about him throughout our day…and doodling his name on our paperwork...because we can’t get him out of our head.

I have to admit…as I do most mornings…that this is one directive I have never fully followed.  I can honestly say that God’s word is becoming something more important to me than ever before…but I have never worn his commands on my wrist or forehead.  Maybe I shouldn’t even question this directive…just do it. Surely in a world of creative jewelry I could come up with something to wear on my wrists and forehead that reminds me of the rules God wants me to follow.

Maybe it isn’t about wearing the rules so much as it is remembering to teach them to our children. I have to admit once again that I left most of the religious education for my family to the church we belonged to when they were children. They sure did not see their mom studying the bible daily….or blogging her thoughts each day on the internet…and now they are grown…completely out of the house…and one has a child of her own. 

Bottom line is…now I can do what I didn’t before.  I can model for anyone around me the love I have for God as I go about my daily routine. …be it a bow of the head to bless a meal in a public restaurant…or a quick mini lesson in my classroom at school when a bible story comes to mind to illustrate a concept or skill I need to teach.  Religious education should be life oriented…not information oriented.  We should use the context of where God has placed us each day to teach others about God.  He absolutely must be a part of our everyday life…not just a Sunday lesson at the church we attend.

Father…your words speak so clearly to me this morning.  I must increase the time and reverence I give to you throughout the day.  A simple morning visit…and reading a quick chapter each night does not begin to give you the time you need to change me completely into what you need me to be.  Walk with me today…and help me to include you in everything I do.  Write your rules on my very heart…so that they become a part of me…and help others to see your love.  Show me how to think about you all day long…so I can actively obey you in everything I do. Amen.

Listen...Learn...Obey!

Deuteronomy 5:1-3  and 32-33 -  Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them.  The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.  It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today……

So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.  Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

 

Moses just couldn’t stop his speech without reminding the Israelites about the ten basic rules God gave him at Mount Sinai. They had made an important promise to God that day….to follow his commands with all their heart and soul. Moses did not just remind them of the rules… he used three important verbs when he spoke to them that day….he said to listen…to learn….and to obey.

 

I will admit that I am one of the worst listeners that exists in the world today.  I am much better at talking…but my random thoughts in verbal form don’t always make sense. True listening as Moses intended ...involves absorbing all the verbal and written information you are exposed too. And even though my severe….ADADHDHDHD…causes a lot of my problem…I have learned recently that I have a God who doesn’t even need medicine to overcome this aliment. Of course I have to remember to ask him to help me each day…so I know I could much better in this avenue.

 

Learning isn’t really any simpler...it is sometimes very hard to understand what is said….and even harder to decipher the implications for our life.  I am learning that reading the bible on a daily basis…and journaling my thoughts in these posts each day…has helped me to see more of the hidden wisdom in his word.  We can’t just sit our bible on our chests as we sleep and expect it to transfer without any effort. You must find a daily time to read and study…if not just one chapter….every day.

 

Obedience is another verb not many of us can claim mastery of. I can say that I have been obedient in some things….for at least the last few years.  But true obedience…in every aspect of my life….ummm…not so much for me.  If I truly obey…then everything I hear…and understand to be God’s direction for my life…will become an action of love…that creates an inseparable bond between me and God ..that Satan simply can’t penetrate.

 

My life application Bible had this great word picture…that I think I will keep in my head for a while to remind me of Moses’ words.  It said that we tend to take a picture of God…put it in a beautiful frame and brag to our friends that we know him.  We ignore the real God…that calls us to listen to his voice…hear and understand his wisdom…then apply it to our daily life.

 

Moses understood this was what the Israelites were doing too. They had a picture of God….his tablet of rules stored away in an ark.  It was time they took the rulebook out and reviewed it…and followed them…and use them daily to make all their decisions.  We should want to obey…because of all the good things he has done for us…of our own accord.  God simply does not want a forced…fake love from any of us.  He wants the kind of love that comes from a true relationship with him….because we talk to him every day….understand what he says…and know it will bring us the happiest possible life while we are here on hos great Earth.

 

Father…I am in awe of your patience with the world…with me…with all the years I did not listen …or hear…or obey your simple directions for my life.  Help me this day …and every day …to renew the commitment I made to you,  Help me to overcome the issues I have with listening…and continue to learn what you have hidden in your word for me to live by. Give me courage and strength and power to follow your rules…even when it is easier to follow the world. Amen.

Seek God this New Year!

Deuteronomy 4:27-31 - The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.  There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.  But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 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.  For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.

 

Moses was on a roll now….the knowledge of his death…..knowing these were his last words to the people he had directed for the last 40 years of his life…he spilled out his heart along with all the knowledge God had placed there for him to share.  How precious to him it must have been to know the future of these people…and with an unwavering faith reveal it to them before his death. How completely a spirit of pure peace must have washed over him as he told them about both the good and bad of life to come.

 

He wasn’t just talking about the Israelites you know….he was talking about you and me as well. All of us that have chosen to be his people are scattered from one end of the Earth to the other…and all of us have fallen way short of the true worship God set up for us with those 10 original rules. We have been tricked into worshiping the idols of the world like money….pride…..success….lust…just like he predicted.  All of our lives are mixtures of good and bad things…as God allows.

 

Even my own family is scattered….making Christmas this year just a bit different.  Some chose to start new traditions with new family…some were unable to travel because of recent injuries…and so Christmas celebrations will be done in shifts…not on the traditional days I was used to.  Just like God to make sure I read this chapter…when I was struggling with missing some of my family this year….just like God to remind me that the spirit of Christmas can travel many miles like those wise men that visited Jesus at his birth.

 

Moses was telling us that wherever we are this Christmas…if we seek God first…with our whole heart and soul….the gaps created by tragedy …divorce …even death….will disappear in his sweet mercy and grace.  His compassion and love will replace the sadness….loneliness…and bitterness…with a new passion to live for him.  Even if all is bad for the moment…all will be good again….as he sees fit to reveal his goodness to us…..and allow us to grown in knowledge of him and his love. God’s peace takes over and all is good…even when it looks bleak and dark outside.

 

Father…I thank you for the goodness and peace you give in my moments of sadness…and loneliness.  I thank you for the family that is present in body…for the family that is just a phone call away…and for the family that I will be forever connected to in Heaven.  Help me to cling to the peace and love that you provide to help me accept the times that I can’t hug my kids in person….and hug them for me today and every day to come… protect them from any evil lurking close by.  Bring about a need in every life to seek you just a bit more as Christmas disappears in the paper we throw away…and the decorations we pack for next year.  Keep your spirit around and show us how to celebrate your birthday…..every day of the year to come. Amen.

Sometimes God says No!

Deuteronomy 3:24-28 - "O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?  Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan--that fine hill country and Lebanon."  But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.  Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see."

 

Moses had so much to remind the Israelites he had led for forty years…some pieces were delivered because God told him they were important… this piece of the story was personal.  He wanted to make sure they knew why he would not be going with them.  He had messed up…really bad once…and God had delivered a judgment…that even the great prayer warrior Moses could not change.  He simply would not get to touch his feet on the land of promise...only his eyes would behold it from the top of the mountain.

 

Sometimes God says no…our prayer can be the greatest…most heartfelt prayer we have ever prayed…sweat drops of blood can flow from our brow from the pressure…but God the father will say no. He said no to Moses…he said no to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 ….just like he said no to his own son that night in the garden…when he prayed for the heavy cup of death to be taken from him in Luke 22. 

 

He told me no once…and I may never understand the reasons….for I can see myself beating the wall in heavy tears and angry voice…the night I asked God to save my Mitchell. They kept working on him after he coded…and I was so sure for the first few minutes that he would come back to me. I prayed quietly for strength to just wait on God to do it in his time.  But as the moments turned into more than a few…I turned bitterly to the wall in great sobs and begged God to let him stay….but he said no…and my sweet Mitchell flew into the arms of the savior.

 

Sometimes God says no…for he alone sees the big picture.  God knew that Moses had trained Joshua for this moment….God knew that Moses had finished what the work he had sent him to do… God knew that the first steps in Heaven would far outweigh a few in the promised land.  God’s vision for our lives fits into a perfect picture…that only he can see full frame.  We must reach out to him on faith…and simply accept the times he says no… or just wait….as easily as we praise him for the yes answers he gives each day of our lives.

 

God knew that I would turn to him for strength when he carried Mitchell into his arms…and I would begin to build a relationship with him that has supported me in every other moment of my life since. I am trying to let go of the beauty and happiness of those moments together…and move forward into whatever work God is calling me too. It is hard…but yet sometimes is it so wonderful…to just rest in the father and watch how he is changing me into a creature who is able to accept the no’s…..along with the yes’s…and the just wait’s!

 

I am so thankful that God told Jesus no that night in the garden...for his pain and suffering gave me a chance to know his father. I am so glad that God infused him instead with the strength to endure that time on the cross…so he could rise victorious over Satan.  For me…that is really what Christmas is about…the whole picture…from his birthday we are celebrating this wonderful morning…to the death on the cross...and his resurrection that saves us all from any sin. That is the whole picture….that gives us all a choice….of a full life with the father...son…and holy spirit.

 

Thank you God for Moses…and Paul….and your son…and the times you told them all no. Help me to really listen to you when you say no…and accept it as a way to know you more.  Give me the discernment to know when to ask you for change…and when to accept the things that you need me to endure…to build me into the servant you need me to be…or to just be obedient like your son was. Happy Birthday Jesus…I hope you have a great party up there today. May the world offer you gifts of peace…and goodwill toward all men…and begin to pray for our nation to be healed.  May we come together to ask for a great revival…a union of all the people who believe…so we can save a few more of those that have turned away from you. Amen.

Do Not Provoke...

Deuteronomy 2:1-5 -  Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the LORD had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.  Then the LORD said to me,  "You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.  Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful.  Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.

 

Moses is continuing the story of God’s great provision…how he used the last 40 years to humble them for their sin….destroy their lusts for physical pleasures…and teach them to be content and comfort themselves in God.  He has them remember the time when they passed through the territory of Esau and Lot….and had to be careful not to provoke them to war…or take anything that they did not pay for. God had already given this land to someone else…he had something else in mind for the descendants of Abraham.

 

Sometimes God calls us to be peaceful…to simply walk amongst the world with love in our heart.  We are to use the great resources he has supplied us with to bless others…that cross our path as we travel the road he commanded us to walk. He uses these times of peace to strengthen our faith…and teach us that the world is not just about us.  The peace we offer to others…strengthens the picture God wants all people to see when they think of him….for God is a God of love and compassion...mercy and forgiveness….peace and fairness.  He wants us to share with others the great blessings he has given to us…and model for them the great love of God. 

 

But this story of Moses had more than one lesson.  This story of Moses was as much a reminder to guard their hearts against greed as it was a story to remind them of the good things God had done for them. God had given them a land… and this land they would travel through had been given to someone else.  Moses is reminding us that Satan will try to plant small seeds of greed into our hearts….and as God blesses us with good things…the small seed of greed that Satan tricked us into keeping in our hearts…will grow into a strong plant….very hard to kill. 

 

Prayer is the only way I know to discern the difference between them.  When an opportunity presents itself to us we must be patient and pray….and ask God if it is for us…or another. His answer does not always come quickly…the Israelites wandered many years….some days they were called to peace…and others they were called to claim the lands they traveled through.  We must strengthen our faith and prayer life to the same level Moses had….so we can hear God’s voice clearly…and know when to take…and when to give.

 

God is teaching me slowly that everything that crosses my path is not for me.  I am still waiting on one answer to a prayer I lifted over two years ago. I admit that Satan has tried to push me to the end of my rope lately…but God grabbed it just in time…to help me hold on a little longer.  I cherish this lesson from Moses…cause it not only teaches me patience…but it gives me hope that my answer will come…when God is ready to give it. I must pray not only for his answer…but always continue to ask for his will as I wait. Even though I really would like an answer today…I know God will give me what I need to wait even 40 years if I need too.

 

Father…I thank you for your love and blessings.   I thank you that you have given me a hope for my future…to bless me and prosper me…and you will reveal your plans for me when you know I am ready to accept your will for my life.  Help me to wait…and throw off the sneaky attacks of Satan…as he tries to plant seeds of greed…and impatience…and bitterness.   Give me a double portion of love and mercy and grace…to kill off the seeds Satan tries to plant…before they can grow into stronger plants …hard to kill.  Teach me how to pray…and really listen to your directions that will give me the guidance I need to follow your will for my life.  Amen.

Remembrance Brings Renewed Responsibility

Deuteronomy 1:1-3 - These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan--that is, in the Arabah--opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab.  (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)  In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them.

 

Knowing his time on Earth was coming to a close….Moses gives one last speech of God’s goodness and provision to the Israelites poised to cross the Jordan and receive the great promises of God.  It is really more of a story… this first chapter of Deuteronomy beginning with the camp their fathers had set up at Mount Sinai….making sure they really understood the rebellious choices their fathers had made the first time God had brought them to this point.

 

God had done so many things to preserve these people…..his mercy evident in the many things he did to save them…feed them….strengthen them for the battles they would face because of their choices.  Moses reminded this mighty nation of the 40 years they were led through the wilderness…and the reason they were given this time of waiting and training to help them trust completely in God. 

 

I am so glad that Moses took the time to write it all down again…for his story tells us how important it is to remember the good things God has done for us……and the tragedies he has brought us through. It is important for us to review the history of our walk with God…to never forget the good things he has done…and to also keep in the forefront of our minds the mistakes and sins he has saved us from.

 

Sometimes it is hard to remember the past….our hearts breaking all over again with the guilt of our mistakes…or the pain that God brought us through in a great loss or tragedy. But the pain reminds us that this world is not our home…and God has a promise for us on the other side of Jordan.  The remembrance of what God saved us from renews the vow we made to him when we ask him into our heart.

 

I was so honored to travel to Nashville Tennessee yesterday...and assist my church in an amazing service to the poor in that great city.  Thousands of homeless children and their parents….and many of the poorest residents of the city...poured into the municipal auditorium…hoping to receive gifts for Christmas…groceries…a sleeping bag…a toy for their child. They were treated to more than they expected….a concert….a mini sermon explaining the plan of salvation…and the opportunity to pray the sinner’s prayer that might give them hope for their future.

 

I found myself praying with them…out loud…and renewing my own commitment to God in that moment.  And as my mind raced through all that he had done for me since I gave him my life when I was 14….. I realized he had done much more for me than I ever even thought about doing for him.  Just the thought of that will drive me to be a little more serious about the work he calls me to do in the next few days…a little more reflective of the great God he is…and how much he must love me to continue to shower on me his blessings…and let me tap into his great power and strength to weather any storms brewing in my path.

 

Father…I thank you for bringing to my remembrance all that you have done for me.  It is good to feel your love and cleansing anew this day…it is good to know that you are always there…ready to guide and catch me when I fall.  Most of all father…it is good to feel your forgiveness…and know that even in my many mistakes...you will always love me…and totally pardon me …and even use it to be a message of hope to others.   Help me father to make a few less mistakes in the coming days…to use the knowledge in your great Bible to strengthen and guide me as I move into the next season of work for you. Amen.

Our Great Inheritance!

Numbers 36:1-5 -  The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families. They said, "When the LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.  Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away.  When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our forefathers."  Then at the LORD's command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: "What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right.

 

This great book of numbers comes to a close …with one last mediation of the people and God from the great leader Moses. The tribal leaders were concerned about an established command of God…when some of their brothers had died…and left no sons to claim the land of inheritance.  It seems that the boldness of these leaders was a good thing this time…as Moses both confirmed their fears and relayed the words of God that would protect every piece of land given to a family tribe…that all inheritances should permanently stay in that tribe. It was an easy fix….marriage to cousins within the tribe…so the land would stay in the tribe.

 

Just a lesson on who to marry…I think not…for when God gave his son to save the world…the family that would receive his inheritance was increased.  He made everyone his family …that would believe on the precious son he sent to save us…and gave to all the possibility of sharing in the great inheritance of heaven someday.  We must bind ourselves together…and love…and trust…and forgive…and hold our Christian brothers and sisters dear…..for they are our family…every single one that believes.

 

The inheritance he gave us…it isn’t land….it isn’t worldly wisdom…or wealth…it isn’t beauty or fame…it isn’t even a promise of long life or health.  God’s promise is simply to love us like no other can.  He promised to be with us always…and protects us from the evil one…and supply every need we have…he gives us eternal life through his son’s death on the cross. He gives us his spirit…of which Paul wrote in Romans 8:14-17  …. “ because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ""Abba," Father."  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

 

Paul also left us with the great words of Romans 8:28… “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Hard words to hear when we read about the deaths of innocent children at the hands of a man controlled by Satan…when we have been left alone from a divorce or death of a loved one….when the news of cancer reaches our ears…or when we have no place to live or sleep each night.  It is so hard for any human brain that is not fully controlled by the spirit to understand the smaller pieces of God’s greater plan…and let the peace that passes understanding give them a sense of calm and a permanent assurance of God’s great promise of hope for our future.

 

Father…I thank you for the promise that gives me the peace to rest in you each night.  I thank you that you gave your perfect son up to save my sinful soul…and made me one of your children when I called out to you and accepted the precious gift you gave me.  Help me to see the great inheritance you have waiting for me in heaven…and seek the work you put me here to do.  I thank you for all the lessons you allowed Moses to record in the book of Numbers.  Help me to always remember to learn from my mistakes…to sidestep disaster by always believing in your great power and strength…to use the great power you can give me to keep from falling back into the sin you saved me from…to avoid complaining and be content n all things… and avoid all compromise with the world’s ways. Amen.

God's Provision for our Pastors

Numbers 35:1-5 - On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,  "Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns.  Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock.  "The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall.  Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.

 

God made sure his appointed priests were included in the inheritance of Canaan. He had each tribe…according to the total number...choose an appropriate number of towns to give from their inheritance.  The tribes that had many people….gave many towns.  The tribes with fewer people….gave fewer towns. Each city given was to be encircled by a pastureland a specific number of feet around the town. In this way God provided for his chosen priests.

 

God knew that the people were going to spread out over a vast area…and the priests would need to scatter with them….to help them…to continue to teach them…to show them how to continue to worship God in their communities….since the temple would be so very far away. This way…each tribe would have several priests within a day’s walking distance ….to provide assistance with religious teaching and matters of the soul.

 

God will choose a central place for the tabernacle…and give the people directions for offering some sacrifices in the confines of their communities later….but for now it is important that they know God is amongst them….wherever they settle. He wants the priests he chose to be a part of each community…to continue to model for them God’s way.

 

The inheritance God gave these Israelites was expanded to the whole world the day he gave his son to die on that cross. ..the people of God being scattered around the entire world, The Levites that God once called to offer leadership to the Israelites has also been expanded into several kinds of ministers today. God calls them by many different names.  Some settle down in our communities and provide the leadership for our various churches….some are called to travel on a continual basis and evangelize….and some are even called to move to countries where God has never been preached…and become missionaries. It is still our Christian calling to care for them all…so they can focus on the work God called them each to do…without worrying about the bills they might incur as the serve.

 

Father…thank you for my pastors….bless them the way they have blessed me. Thank you for the vision you give them…and leadership that has made our church a strong presence in my town.  Help me Lord to know just what I can do honor and support them. Help me to be faithful with the monthly tithes I bring that support them financially.  Show me your vision for supporting the evangelists that you send out from my community…and show me which missionaries you have chosen for me to support with the many blessings you shower on me to do your work. Amen.

We Need Boundaries

Numbers 34: 1-2…and 12-15 -  The LORD said to Moses,  "Command the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries………

Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. " 'This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.' " Moses commanded the Israelites: "Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes,  because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise." 

 

The people of God were camped next to the Jordan River…..ready to move at the word of the Lord…but God was not quite ready for them to go.  He had a few more directions for Moses to deliver to the people…before they crossed the river and began to drive out the people who already lived in the Promised Land that God had promised so long ago to Abram.  The land he was giving them had very specific boundaries….to the north…south...east and west.  The 2 ½ tribes that had been given the land east of the Jordan…were not included…they had been given their inheritance…but the other 9 ½ tribes were to divide the 8,000 square miles described by God… by lot…based on the number of people in the tribe.

 

I was just a bit unfocused last night…and found myself hurrying through my reading last night. I really had trouble pronouncing all those land names…and had no personal knowledge of where they were and just how large the area was that he gave them. I looked at the map in my bible…and jotted down some generic notes that left me wondering what God needed me to glean from this chapter.   But when I woke this morning…the word boundaries was heavy on my mind. And as God’s spirit began to make my reading more clear…I quickly jotted down that everyone needs boundaries…and that God did not give them the whole world…just what they needed in that moment to live...just what he knew they needed to be his people….to flourish and live and worship him.

 

These boundaries established the Israelites as a separate people.  A nation that was ordered by God’s own hand…who trusted in his provision and care. They needed these boundaries to maintain their relationship with God…and keep their different way of life separate from the pagan people around them.  God gave them just what they needed…no more …no less. He provided for them the perfect place to grow in understanding of the creator…and flourish from the blessings he would provide within the rules he gave them…within the imaginary fence he drew on the land he gave them to live. 

 

It has taken me 54 years…but I realize now that God gave me boundaries too…and when I step outside them….life goes quickly out of control.  I have the same 10 rules he gave Moses so long ago….and I have been placed in this time…and this place to do a specific task for him. Much like the Israelites…I don’t always see or understand where he is taking me…and it seems some days he is just leading me around in circles in a wilderness.  But some days…as I listen to his voice speak from his word…and I close out the voice of the world that tries to convince me to step outside that boundary he gave me…even in the tough times…the blessings flow freely. I have been blessed more than some…with great kids….a warm cozy home to live….a church to worship my wonderful God in…and friends to enjoy it with!

 

Thank you God for the boundaries you set for me when I gave my life to you.  Help me today to live within them…and not question why you have placed me where you have in this moment.  Give me the patience to wait for you to speak to me and tell me clearly what task you put me here for….and not let the world trick me into wanting to hurry up and walk in front of your plan.  I thank you for all the blessings you have given me to enjoy while I wait.  Give me strength…and wisdom…and a renewed trust in your great goodness and mercy…so that I will not be swayed to the left or the right….but stay focused and walk with faith on the path you have chosen for me to walk. Amen.