Faith Isn't Always Logical

Joshua 6:1-5 -  Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.  March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.  Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.  When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

 

Jericho was one of the oldest cities built at the time….a mighty fortress…walls 25 feet high in places.  They thought the city to be invincible… so they gathered all the people they could into the city and shut it tight…posted guards…and waited.  No one left…and no one entered…all inside thought themselves to be safe. I can just imagine what laughter  must have been released from their bellies … what fun must have been poked from inside those high walls as they watched the army of Israel simply march in silence around the city one time each day for six days. It must have seemed simply ludicrous ….causing days of entertainment because of the seeming absurdity of this army’s techniques.

 

It took the Canaanites completely by surprise.  The walls fell with the mighty …faith filled shout of the Israelites…they rushed in from all sides…and the rest is a gory picture that is hard to imagine.  God proved that only he is invincible…nothing built by man can withstand his control…nothing we do on our own could ever come close to his power and strength to keep his promises.  If we but follow his simple directions…he will do the rest. This battle was won completely by God…for no human effort was given.

 

It reminds me that God doesn’t always work in the parameters of what we are used too.  He gives us what seems like a silly direction…and if we follow it…no matter how unbelievable it sounds….we see his power at work in our lives like never before.  God allows some tragedy or loss to shake us to our very core…and if we draw close to him…and wait for him to reveal his purpose…we become strong ...filled with a faith that is unshakeable…accepting it as a pathway to a greater purpose…allowing God to heal and strengthen us to fulfill his plan for our lives. 

 

Just like Joshua’s battle…which was won before it started…our battle is already won too. Jesus conquered Satan when he died on the cross …we don’t have to run and hide from Satan inside a walled city.  I need to walk silently around the world and wait for God to tell me how to fight him…just trusting that the small piece I see is a part of a bigger plan….to prosper me….and give me a purpose for my future.  With God…things are not always logical…as we have learned to define it.  He asks us…like he did Joshua…to walk out in faith and just do what he tells us…even if it sounds silly at the time.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that my life is totally in your control.  You alone have the ending...and I must learn to follow your simple directions…one day at a time…even when they seem illogical at the time. Help me to listen …to be silent as I just rest in your love and care…and wait.  Make your directions clear….so I can do what you have called me to do.  Help me to shout out in faith…and watch you do mighty things in my life.  Amen.

What message Does God Have for You?

Joshua 5:13-15 -  Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"  "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"  The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

 

Joshua…excited from the memory of their walk across a dry river…freshly dedicated to God’s service through his compliance to the law of circumcision…is met with a stranger.  He meets a stranger…a man with drawn sword… on his way to Jericho.  Naturally…he asks him who he is fighting for…and he hears the words that Moses heard when God appeared to him in the burning bush.  The man tells him he is standing on holy ground…and to take of his shoes.  And Joshua complies…because he knows he is in the presence of the mighty God himself.

 

Joshua had already been told that the land would need to be claimed for the Israelites…because  the people that lived there were not followers of God…and they would have to be destroyed before they could live there. They had to purge this new land of the sinful practices and evil…so that God could be supremely worshiped alone. So God appeared to Joshua…as a mighty man…sword drawn for battle…to give Joshua his directions for taking Jericho.

 

It reminded me at once of the way God appeared to Moses from the burning bush…telling Moses to take off his shoes….on the holy ground where he would be given his directions for leading the Israelites out  of Egypt.  Moses was directed to look at the staff he held in his hands…and to use it to be God’s voice to the people. The rod became everything he needed it to be as he followed God’s will throughout the 80 years he dedicated his life to God’s service.

 

I also thought of many years before….when Abraham too saw a stranger.  This stranger pronounced the child they wanted so badly…and fulfilled the one piece of the puzzle Abraham needed to be assured God’s promise to him of a great new land to live in…and of descendants so numerous they could not be counted. This stranger brought hope and miracles in their old age…and joy unable to put into words as they accepted God’s great gift to them.

 

God still appears to us in different forms. He appears to each of us in the exact form we need…exactly when we need him. He probably won’t tell us to take off our shoes…but he will ask us what we hold in our hands….and he will tell us how to use it to help him spread the gospel. ..if we stop and acknowledge his presence.  We need to do what Joshua did…as he recognized him immediately….and bowed low in reverence…and prepared his heart to listen.

 

Father…forgive me for not noticing you when you come to speak with me.  Give me ears to hear...and eyes to see you clearly when you come to give me directions. Give me some time to reflect today on the things you have already given me to do…so I can make sure that I have included you in all of them.  Show me how to be more effective in the tasks I have been given to do… and realize what I need to leave behind …because the task was not a job you gave me to do. Amen.

Build a Monument in Your Heart

Joshua 4:20-24 -  And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.  He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?'  tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'  For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.  He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

 

Joshua charged them that day…to never forget the great things God had done for them. He took the twelve stones God had directed him to retrieve from under the priest’s feet…and he built the monument God directed him to build…that would always stand as a reminder of this special day.  They were instructed to tell anyone who asked that these stones represented the dry ground they walked on to cross the overflowing Jordan in the Spring. These stones represented the second time God had parted waters so the Israelites could receive the blessings God had planned for them in Canaan.

 

Our memories of what God has done for us should serve as a monument in our hearts. They should be reminders…imprinted on our soul…that cause pure joy and love to bubble out of everything we do from the remembrance of it. That monument is not meant to stay tucked away in your heart…God told them to build it where their children would see it…so they would ask about it.  That monument was to serve as a catalyst for sharing the great story of how the God of heaven and earth had rescued them and given them this great land.

 

Your monument …your story…should be shared with others.  It is the proof that God is good…and can still do mighty things here on this earth. God has this way of leading people to be where he has arranged for you to share...that might just share a bit of your pain…who might have similar hurts or struggles. God can use your testimony to show them a spark of hope….that God can do what they need to be healed and whole again.

 

And when you share your story…it strengthens your own faith…and reminds you once again just how much God has done for you. You are empowered by the storm he may have brought  you through…and you are able to put it in the past….and lay down that hurt as a mere stone in a monument…a scar of the past…not a wound that still needs to be healed.

 

Father…help me this morning to build you a new monument in my heart.  Help me place each uncut stone from the storms you brought me through in a pile that stays in my heart…and reminds me of all the wonderful things you have done for me.  Let the joy and healing be so evident in my walk each day that people ask about its source…so I can share with them what a great healer…and teacher…and comforter you are.  Amen.

Conscrate Yourself for a Miracle

Joshua 3:1-5 -  Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.  After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."  Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

 

Sounds easy…get up early and travel as close to the river Jordan as you can safely camp…camp there three days while God gives Joshua and all the leaders the details of how  you are to cross the river….and follow the holy Ark of the Covenant…God’s presence with the people of Israel… across the river to the land God had promised them.  It was going to be such a special day that they were told to consecrate themselves….to prepare for God’s great miracle to come.

 

But the people must have looked wide eyed at the overflowing river Jordan.  It was Spring…and the river could have been over a mile wide from the rain and snowmelt from mount Herman….it could have been up to 12 feet deep. They had 3 days to watch the swift river flow and think on the only three directives  Joshua had given them ‘follow the Ark’… ‘stay at least ½ mile away from it’….and ‘consecrate yourself to see a great miracle from God.’

 

I can just imagine the oohs and ahhs as the Priests carrying the Ark stepped toward the river. What a combination of thrill and awe must have struck them to see the river stop flowing before their eyes.  They had heard the great stories of how God parted the Red Sea for their ancestors…but now they got to see God’s power with their own eyes…and process his greatness to a whole new level in their hearts. It must have been something to behold. 

 

We are talking 2 million people here…crossing a river…damned by God himself at a town upstream.  It must have taken days…and we are not told that those priests swapped off the task of carrying the ark.  For as long as the ark stood in the middle of the river…the waters stayed blocked.  All I can say is …wow…unbelievable...unless you believe in the great God of heaven and Earth...and his ability to do pretty much anything he wants. 

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that you have the power to do great things in our lives if we follow your simple directions. Help me find the trust and faith to follow you wherever you go…even into an overflowing river.  Give me the physical strength to carry your word as long as it takes to get the job done…and let you guide me in all that I do. Forgive me Lord for the times that I have been afraid to follow you…and help me from this day forward to listen and focus and trust in the directions you give.  Consecrate me Lord...so you can do great miracles in my life too. Amen.

Rahab...Courage... Faith..and Belief

Joshua 2:8-13 -  Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.  We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

 

Who would figure…that God would reveal himself to a known harlot…and use her to save these two spies. What faith and courage it must have taken for Rahab to hide the spies on her roof…to send the kings men in the opposite direction so they would be safe. But she doesn’t just hide them…she boldly proclaimed to them that their God was different…and she feared him…and wanted his protection…not his judgment….for her whole family.

 

Rahab’s story proves that God can use anybody…anytime.  God melted her heart and revealed to her that he was the only God…and she accepted him into her home…and changed her life to be used of him in an instant.  I’m jumping ahead a bit to later chapters….but the blessings she received for turning her life over to God did not stop…for she was taken into the Israelite’s camp…was given the wonderful child Boaz…who was one of the ancestors of Christ himself.

 

Her faith made her whole…just like the many others Jesus healed in the Streets during his ministry…James 2:25 says…. “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?’”   And whoever wrote Hebrews 11 included Rahab in their great examples of faith…for verse 31 says… “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

 

Father…grant that I would have more faith.…to see you in your goodness...to accept the parts of your plan that I cannot see…to trust that you have blessings to give me when I believe in that which I cannot see.  Forgive me for not trusting you…for wanting to see more than you know I need right now.  Help me to learn to wait…and hope and trust in your love for me. Amen.

Obedience +Study + Prayer = Sucess

Joshua 1: 5-9 -  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.  Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

 

Joshua stood in the presence of the Lord and received his charge to lead the people of Israel.  Moses was gone…the people had mourned him for 30 days...but Joshua must have felt his absence more than most.  The weight of leadership had to have been a huge worry for him...because God comes to talk with him and set him at ease. He tells him to remember who he is serving…and he can only succeed in this new role.

 

Success for Joshua means obedience to the laws God gave Moses.  Joshua is reminded to be courageous and strong….to follow each law exactly as it is written…God tells him to meditate on the laws day and night… so he will know them…and not turn from them in any situation. God tells him that he will always be with him…just like he was with Moses.

 

The advice God gives Joshua is good advice for us all. He has a charge for us all….and our success means obedience to the directions he gives us.  We find some of those directions in the Bible…and the others we hear him speak when we meet with him in prayer.  We need to meditate on his word day and night… and develop an attitude of prayer all day long…so we won’t miss anything he says to us.

 

Father…I thank you for the time you give me each day to read and study your Bible. Bless this time and help me to uncover even more of the wisdom you placed there for me to have a happy and content life. Stretch my understanding of your words to include the task you need me to do for you…so more people can join me in heaven someday.  Help me father with the prayer side of this message from Joshua…for you know how I struggle to find time to really pray…..deep prayers from the heart…that claim and voice the words from your Bible.  Develop in me a passion to kneel in your presence every day…and speak with you as you did to Moses and Joshua. Amen

Moses...Courage and Grace Even in Death

Deuteronomy 34:1-7 -  Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land--from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.  Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."  And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said.  He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is.  Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

 

Moses first encounter with God was with a burning bush…a curiosity he saw from a distance.  But as he approached the holy ground where God chose to reveal himself…he took off his shoes and spoke with God as he were a friend. Eighty years of his life had already been lived…full days …of good things and evil…things that prepared him for the tasks God called him to do. And now…40 more years have passed….years of following God…talking with him…translating his voice to those who had also been chosen to be his people. He did a good job…more good than bad…so God allowed him to see the Land of Promise…from a distance.

 

I like to think that they had a wonderful last ‘Earthly’ visit.  God patting him on the back…recalling all the good he had done….and showing him the beauty of the land he had chosen….telling him how much more beautiful Heaven would be. God would have gently reminded him of the one time Moses disobeyed…and how he covered that one mistake with the grace and mercy of his great love as well.  One minute they were looking out over the peak of the mountain…and in the next instant…Moses just drifted peacefully into the permanent sleep we call death…at some point opening his eyes to see the great Heaven promised to us all.

 

Maybe it is good that the last conversation of Moses was kept secret…just like his burial place. It allows our own concepts of a loving God to fill in the blanks…just like some loving person recorded his climb up the mountain. These people…who were so tempted to return to idol worship…might have gone to get his body…and made it an idol.  So God only allowed them to mourn for 30 days…so they would move on… and cross that mighty river…and begin to fight for the life and land God wanted them to have.

 

When faced with death…we have two choices.  We can hold on to anger…and let the absence of more life to come… trap our feet in our pain.  OR we can be like Moses…and gracefully accept the will of God…and climb that mountain ...putting fear underneath our feet…closing our eyes as we talk one last Earthly time to God….to wake in his full presence.  For whether we believe that we immediately go to Heaven when we die…as the prisoner on the cross beside Jesus…or we fall asleep as Paul thought…we truly have no concept of time when we sleep.

 

Father…I thank you for this humble servant named Moses and for all that you allowed him to record in your Bible. Help me to always think back to the many lessons you allowed him to record…and keep the laws that you gave him to help me have a closer relationship with you.  And when my human…weak brain is faced with the loss of someone I love...or I myself hear those words pronouncing my own death…let my mind remember the great resolve of Moses…and his grace and obedience….and how his last conversation with you glorified you even more that the entirety of his life. Amen.

God is Forever

Deuteronomy 33:26-29  -  "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.  The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He thrusts out the enemy before you; it is he who cries, 'Destroy them!'  So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and wine, while the heavens drop down dew.  How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will bow low before you, and you will trample on their backs!"

 

Moses has been traveling so long with the children of Israel…he takes on the Earthly role of father in his last few days on Earth.  Just as Jacob blessed each of his 12 sons…Moses takes the time to bless each tribe of Israel before he climbs the mountain to take his last breath.  Some tribes receive long life…others protection from their enemies…and others receive the best of the land in Canaan….but because they all had been chosen by God to be his people…they all received his love and blessing for a full and rich life.

 

He ends his blessing with a proclamation…that God is our refuge…our only true security.  Moses knew that all the Earthly blessing would pass away…but God in his splendor was really the only thing that could protect and love them forever.  Every Earthly blessing that they were about to receive would eventually pass away…but the love of the father was to be their security forever.

 

We’ve all been there…we have taken a side road that looked very prosperous…taken our eyes off Jesus for just a bit…and held a little too tightly to some Earthly gain….money…a car…a house….or maybe a relationship.  It crumbled around us like a house of cards…and left us holding an emptiness that sent our soul searching for God again.

 

God was watching for us….riding the clouds…holding out those arms that Moses said would always be there…cause he knows our selfish flesh steers us the wrong direction more than it leads us to his love.  And as the thing we gripped for happiness or security collapses around us…he catches us in mid fall...and waits for us to just relax in his goodness.  He wipes away our tears of remorse…and forgives us…and reinstates us and gives us that second or fiftieth chance to get it right again.

 

The apostle John understood Moses’ words here….for he wrote in 1 John 2:17 …. “And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”  He knew that nothing lasts in this world but the love of God…and the sooner we all understand it…the more content we will be with the crazy world we live in these days.

 

Father… thank you this morning for your endless love….for catching me all the many times I have chased after a worldly thing…and realized you were not there. Forgive me for being so shallow…and thinking that any ‘thing’ you have blessed me with can substitute for your love and grace.  Help me to be more focused…to look for you…and ask you always what you want me to do.  Help me to put my hope and trust in nothing but you from this moment forward.  Amen.

Is God Your Life?

Deuteronomy 32:45-49 -  When Moses had finished reciting these words to Israel,  he added: "Take to heart all the words I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of this law.  These instructions are not mere words -- they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to occupy."  That same day the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river, and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own possession.

 

Moses was a much loved child…a prince…a murderer…a fugitive…a shepherd…a chosen servant of God…and a songwriter.  It’s a long song…but it is beautiful...full of rich wisdom from his many years of close contact with God.  And as Moses closes his beautiful song…his last speech to the people of Israel…he tells them to meditate on the words he has given them...to teach them to all the children that will be born…because they are not just words…they are the life of every one who believes in God.

 

And God chose that moment...those rich words that sum up the whole of every relationship with God…to let Moses climb the mountain at last and see the Promised Land ...from a distance.  Moses would fall asleep gazing at the most beautiful land ever…and wake in even more beauty and spendor….as he crossed over into Heaven…instead of the promised land.

 

I wonder what Moses thought about as he climbed that mountain…were their tears of remorse…or perhaps tears of relief….even gratitude.  For Moses’ life was full of good things…and he constantly gave God thanks for all of it. Moses practiced what he preached...as I used to hear growing up….he lived the words he spoke to the people…he taught them to all the children of Israel…God was his life.

 

One might think Moses’ punishment…not getting to set his feet on the land of promise….was pretty harsh….he only fell to his human flesh once.  Personally …..I think it is just another example of how rich God’s mercy is. He took away one thing…but replaced it with something greater…for Heaven in all its glory had to be better than the land God promised the Israelites here on Earth.

 

It should give us all great hope…especially those of us that God has allowed to lose something great…for he has something great in store for us too…and he might even give it to us while we are on this side of Heaven. But even if he doesn’t give it to us in our earthly lifetime….it will still come…for we will all climb our last mountain someday…and fall asleep to wake to the most beautiful voice.  Somehow I just know that small still voice of God is going to sound pretty glorious in person.

 

Father…I want you to be my life…so teach me how to be more focused on you.  Forgive me first …for all the lame attempts I make to be your child…and show me how to follow these great rules that Moses set before us.  Allow me to see your burning bush…and let it consume my whole being.  Let me hear your still small voice in everything I attempt to do…so I know that it is what you want…and not my selfish flesh.  Give me discernment father…and show me how to meditate on you and the great Bible you left me...and find time to really speak to you every day…like Moses did. Amen.

Enough Time with God's Word?

Deuteronomy 31:7-9 -  Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched he said to him, "Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to give their ancestors. You are the one who will deliver it to them as their inheritance.  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you."  So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the LORD's covenant, and to the leaders of Israel.

 

Moses handed down the reins of leadership to the one God had chosen. He commissioned him…in front of the whole congregation of people.  He told him to be strong and courageous… for Moses knew the days ahead would be difficult…for the people would fail once again to keep their eyes fully on God. Moses knew that they would forget about God once again and turn to their old selfish ways.

 

Moses also knew that he had told them many times…about the special laws God wanted them to follow…but he wanted to make sure it was written down…and preserved by the priests and leaders of Israel. They were to take it out and read it every 7 years….no matter what…to remind themselves of the laws that would give them a prosperous life.

 

I can’t imagine having to wait 7 years to hear the Bible read to me.  We have a great advantage over these people…being able to own a Bible of our own.  Most of us have more than one…plus an ap on our phones...and a connection through the internet to any commentary we want …to help us understand what we have read.  But how many of us take advantage of the many ways God allows us to drink in his wisdom these days.

 

I can testify that the decision to begin reading my Bible every day was the second most important decision I ever made…the first was to ask God to save me.  All the excuse I used to give faded away as I read first random passages from an index in my MOPS Bible just after Mitchell died…then began the journey to read just one chapter a night…from Genesis to Revelation…really studying and trying to understand…till I made it all the way through the Bible.  It took me just a little more than 3 years…one chapter a night….and even if you count the writing time for the devotional he leads me to write each morning…I only spend around 90 minutes total a day…not even the 2 hour and 40 minutes that would be a complete tithe of the 24 hours God grants me each day.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to spend even more time with you…studying the great words you gave to Moses…and the others that you selected to put together your Bible. Help me to find more time to study it …and really know what it says…so that I can always know what your word says about the things that tempt me each day.  Forgive me for thinking that 90 minutes is enough time to spend with you each day…forgive me for feeling like my short visits in your word would give me enough strength and courage to make it through even the easiest day. Amen.

Simple Rules

Deuteronomy 30: 10-14  -  The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.  "This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform.  It is not up in heaven, so distant that you must ask, 'Who will go to heaven and bring it down so we can hear and obey it?'  It is not beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, 'Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear and obey it?'  The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.

 

There it is…in plain print…the rules God gave us are not too hard for us to follow.  They are simple rules…no great physical or mental skills needed….just a passion.  Moses was telling them that all they needed to follow God’s way was to put those rules in their hearts…and let it overflow from their being into every word they said.

 

It reminded me of that Rich young ruler in Luke 18….the one that asked Jesus how to get into Heaven.  Jesus told him in verses 19-20…that he already knew the commandments he was to keep.  But after the ruler said he had kept those rules all his life…Jesus reminded him that he loved his money more that he did God. Jesus could see right through to his heart…and saw the money there…not a passion for God.

 

It all boils down to a choice…and if we look at the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 30…we find these words of Moses tucked into verses 19-20…  "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!  Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

 

Father…it is so simple….only my flesh…that is weak and selfish makes it hard. Help me father to follow you with all my heart…and all my soul.  Strengthen my heart so it can tell the flesh no when it tries to involve me in something that breaks one of your rules.  I thank you for these words of Moses that remind me that following you should be the easiest thing I have ever done. Help me to always choose life with you.  Amen.

Fan or Follower

Deuteronomym29:1-4 -  These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites while they were in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Mount Sinai.  Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, "You have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and his whole country --  all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders.  But to this day the LORD has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear!

 

One more reminder from Moses… that they did not just have a casual relationship with God.  They had made a commitment to God…to be his people...and were to keep the covenant they had made with him.  God would keep his side of the agreement…and they would finally cross the river Jordan into the land he had promised them.  They were to just keep resting in the provisions they had received for the last 40 years…cause God had even greater plans for them…plans he had not fully revealed yet.

 

Verse 4…. “ But to this day the LORD has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear!” …just stuck in my head as I read it. Moses’ reminder to them that God doesn’t always give us every detail of the plans for our future…or reveal to us every hidden truth in the passages we read from his word…seemed to be just what I needed to hear too! God’s blessings don’t come with the choice to get one lump payment or monthly checks…he gives us just what we need…when he knows we can handle it.

 

Our commitment to him should not be based on the blessings he gave us for the week…but the covenant we made with him when we asked him to be our savior.  We are ‘fickle’…in the words of the Tri-County First Priority leader Tim Bargo …that I heard speak at last night’s annual youth rally at Soul’s Harbor Church. He challenged us all to be ‘disciples’ of God…instead of ‘fans.” That’s what Moses was doing…telling them to be disciples…and keep growing and learning about God…so he could keep revealing the rest of that great Bible to them…so he could open their eyes to the truth...so they could hear his voice tell them how to live their life.

 

He didn’t tell them about his great plans to send his son many years in the future…it wouldn’t have made sense to them.  God already knew that they would fail again…many times….and he would have to send his son to be our sacrifice…to finally conquer sin in the world.  I will never fully understand the sacrifice God made in giving his son in the first place…or the love that gave Jesus the strength and power to die on that cross.  The least I can do is keep my end of the bargain….and love him with all my heart…all my soul...and all my mind.  AND…learn to wait on him to reveal what he knows I need….when he knows I am ready to be obedient.

 

Father…you keep amazing me with bits and pieces of your wonderful plan for me.  Forgive me for being more of a ‘fan’ than a ‘disciple.’  Thank you for leading me to exactly where I needed to be to hear you reveal the wisdom you placed in a simple man’s message last night.  I thank you for the blessing of watching those 3 teenagers give their lives to you…and for the music that helped me have such a special worship time with you.  I truly need to wake up…and realize that you made me for this time…and you want me to do a special work for you… to somehow change the world’s view of who you are ....and how your love can transform us into the people you want us to be.  Open my eyes…and ears…so I can see you clearly and hear your quiet voice tell me your next plans for me….the ones that are meant to prosper me and give me hope for my future. Amen.

Blessings For Obedience

Deuteronomy 28:1-5 -  "If you fully obey the LORD your God by keeping all the commands I am giving you today, the LORD your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world.  You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God:  You will be blessed in your towns and in the country.  You will be blessed with many children and productive fields. You will be blessed with fertile herds and flocks.  You will be blessed with baskets overflowing with fruit, and with kneading bowls filled with bread.  You will be blessed wherever you go, both in coming and in going.

 

I am so glad that Moses started this speech with the positive side of following God’s rules.  The blessings he promised encompass every part of our daily life…from food to relationships.  The blessings of God are there…for all those who believe in him and obey the rules he gave us to have a long and prosperous life...and they follow us everywhere he sends us to do his work.

 

Almost seems like a no brainer…we do what God asks…and he blesses us in return. But in my life I know that I fall so short of what God calls me to do…I break at least one rule every day…and I struggle with some of his rules more than others.  So I wonder daily how God could bless me as much as he does…with a great place to live…a job that pays the bills...with a church that gives me support…and friends and family around the world who love me. Maybe I do more right than I do wrong…but there are days I beat myself up cause I know I messed up bad….and God’s blessings are so abundant that I know I don’t deserve them.

 

It also crosses my mind that the blessings of God are not always so obvious to our human brains.  Over the last two years…I have come to realize that even the 4 short months I had with my second husband were a blessing…for in the sadness and emptiness of his death…I have seen God work in my life. God has filled the void of Mitchell’s absence….with a powerful love and thirst for his word…and he is showing me how to praise him …even in the saddest time of my life.  Just like Laura Story’s great song….sometimes his greatest blessings come through the tears of our struggles.

 

Father…I thank you this morning for every good and perfect thing you have ever given me…those blessings that I recognized immediately…and those that you are still trying to help me see.  Help me to focus more on you than ever before…so I can continue to drink in the goodness of all you have planned for me…plans to prosper me…and give me hope for the future…even when on the surface it seems that you have taken something really good away.  Give me eyes and ears to listen to you …and begin to follow more of your rules…so you can bestow on me the full blessings you have stored up just for me. Amen.

 

Here is the link to Laura’s Song…Blessings….sorry about the ad!    http://youtu.be/4mmgV6mPvb0  

Monument for Rules

Deuteronomy 27:4-10 -  When you cross the Jordan, set up these stones at Mount Ebal and coat them with plaster, as I am commanding you today.  Then build an altar there to the LORD your God, using natural stones.  Do not shape the stones with an iron tool. On the altar you must offer burnt offerings to the LORD your God.  Sacrifice peace offerings on it also, and feast there with great joy before the LORD your God.  On the stones coated with plaster, you must clearly write all the terms of this law."  Then Moses and the Levitical priests addressed all Israel as follows: "O Israel, be quiet and listen! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.  So obey the LORD your God by keeping all these commands and laws that I am giving you today."

 

Moses made sure to tell them these words of the Lord…words that would require specific actions…and an obedience of his laws…for the rest of their lives.  He told them how God wanted them to permanently place a copy of the laws on the shore of the river Jordan…as soon as they placed their feet upon the Promised Land God was giving them.  He wanted them to build a monument…out of the rocks of the river…uncut…unshaped…covered with a plaster of sorts that could hold an etching of all 10 laws.  The Lord wanted them to stop…and give thanks for this great land …and dedicate themselves to following ALL his rules before they embarked one foot into the land.

 

There were 10 rules that God wanted to shape their character…10 rules that show all of us how to truly live the way God intended from the moment he gave them to us.  We don’t get to pick the ones we like…and pretend the rest don’t exist. God said follow them all.  In Exodus 20:1-17…he wrote them on tablets…we are to….Love God only…Refrain from building relationships with anything that is more important than God….Always use God’s name in a reverent way…Rest and Worship every seventh day…Respect our parents…Respect the life of others by not murdering …Respect the relationships of others by not committing adultery or lying to them…And be content with what God gave to us by not stealing or coveting  what he might have blessed others with.

 

Just like the Israelites crossed that river…we too cross a great chasm of emptiness when we accept God into our lives. As his love fills our heart…he wants us to stop and give thanks to him for our salvation…and permanently etch ALL his rules on our hearts…then be obedient to them…ALL of them.  Satan would lose a great stronghold on the world…and all the evil in our world would begin to vanish as we began to obey these simple rules. Too bad we aren’t allowed to etch them on public places anymore.  Just my personal opinion here…but if it was good for the Israelites as they crossed the Jordon to etch them on a monument…it should be good for us too.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you gave us 10 rules to follow…and we should stop when we accept your love in our hearts…and etch them where we can see them…so they will remind us daily of the commitment we made to you.  Help me to find new places to post them…as a reminder for me…and maybe …because I had them posted for my eyes…you can use them to remind others as well.  Amen.

Tell The World What God Has Done

Deuteronomy 26: 5-10 - You must then say in the presence of the LORD your God, 'My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt. His family was few in number, but in Egypt they became a mighty and numerous nation. When the Egyptians mistreated and humiliated us by making us their slaves,  we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression.  So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amazing power, overwhelming terror, and miraculous signs and wonders.  He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey!  And now, O LORD, I have brought you a token of the first crops you have given me from the ground.' Then place the produce before the LORD your God and worship him.

 

Moses was reminding them that they should never forget the unique story that told how God had saved them…sustained them…done mighty miracles for them….and brought them to a place overflowing with goodness.  He wanted them to at least remember it once a year…to preserve the special testimony of the Israelites.  Each year at the Festival of the First Fruits…they were to prepare a basket with the finest of their harvest…and give it to the priest…and tell this story of grace and mercy and power to the priest.

 

The passage reminded me how powerful our own testimonies are to the growth of our own relationship with God. I remember the first time I shared just a portion of what had done for me at a Celebrate Recovery meeting. The cleansing ...healing tears flowed freely as I recorded on paper the way I God had sustained me through the divorce issues and the death of my second husband…way sooner than I ever thought…in spite of the way I had put my relationship with God on hold for many years.

 

Your testimony of God’s work in your life…once you have claimed it…can be used of God to help others. For as I spoke those words of God’s great mercy and grace to others…it became a tool of not just my recovery and healing…but a light and hope to others that had similar hurts.  God will use every mistake you made and repented of to show others that their excuses to not have God in their life have no merit.  God will use your testimony to show others that if we come back to him...his power and strength will become ours as well.

 

Your testimony can also be a powerful tool of worship and praise.  Remember how the man in Luke 17:16-19 ran back to thank Jesus …. "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?   There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.   And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole"

 

I encourage you to at least take out a journal and list the many things God has done for you….then include in your prayers a willingness to God to share it with someone…that God might preparing to hear your words of how God saved you…sustained you…did miracles for you…even gave you blessings beyond your wildest dreams. You will be humbled…and realize that nothing you have accomplished was of your own merit…but that everything you have become is a direct result of the testimony of your past.

 

Father…my human thanks is all you ever asked for …but it seems so weak and insufficient for all that you have done in my life. I realize that I could never find a way to ever pay you back…so I will just let my thanks be simple.  Help me father to never forget all that you have done for me.  Continue to build my faith as you help me to share the power you have given me to overcome the depression and hurt of divorce…the loneliness of losing a spouse to your wonderful Heaven…and the everyday struggles of everyday life. Let me do as you commanded the man in Luke 8:38-39… The man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too, but Jesus said,  "No, go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you." So he went all through the city telling about the great thing Jesus had done for him.” Amen.

Accurate Scales Equals Honest Heart

Deuteronomy 25:13-16  -   "You must use accurate scales when you weigh out merchandise,  and you must use full and honest measures.  Yes, use honest weights and measures, so that you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.  Those who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the LORD your God.

There were so many things Moses had observed over the 40 years he had led them through the wilderness…so he allowed God to form his last words into short bursts of random ways to please God in all that we do. He must have seen some problems with honesty…for God allowed Moses to speak these words about the accuracy we must use when buying and selling….to remind them of his previous words in Leviticus 19:35-36.

I don’t think God is talking just about the scales we use to measure our deli purchases here…the concept of honesty stretches far past a simple purchase at our local store. We are called to be honest…when dealing with other people…no matter what...so Satan cannot come in at a later time and convince us somehow that we deserve more than our fair share.

Dishonesty is hated so by God because it shows a character that does not truly love what God loves. God is fair and just…and always gives us more than we deserve. A man who is accustomed to using false weights and measures to cheat people…sure hasn’t allowed God to change his heart. I guess that is why he got so angry at the money changers that day in the temple. He just couldn’t allow the greed and sin to permeate his house.

The anger of Jesus had such an impact on the disciples that all four gospels record the story…one only has to read Matthew 21:12-13… Mark 11:15-18… Luke 19:45-46… and John 2:13-17. It must have been one of Jesus’ most frustrating moments…to see such greed and dishonesty…to see the people he loved be taken advantage of.  His heart was already heavy with emotions…knowing his death was soon…his heart must have ached for us as he realized this was one of the sins he must die for on that cross.

He must have really been happy with those that bought there though….I mean think about it….they all knew that they were being scammed…and they exchanged their money for that pair of doves anyway! They wanted above all things to offer the right sacrifice to God…so they allowed the money changers to be dishonest so that they could please him.

This may be a total stretch…but maybe those of us that pay our taxes without trying to find loopholes and deductions that aren’t quite true…please God because he knows our heart just can’t be dishonest.  God loves us no matter what…but he will bless us if we allow the heart he changes by his love to always show others how to be honest in any matter that involves weights or scales or money exchanges.

Father…I thank you for the reminder that I need to be honest.  Help me to never allow Satan to trick me into thinking that I deserve anything more than what you have allowed.  Let my yes be accountable and always truthful….and let my no be evident when Satan tries to lure me with dishonest thoughts. Show me how to live an honest life…and like Zacchaeus...reveal to me any dishonest dealings I need to make right. Amen.