Please read Deuteronomy 21:10-23, Deuteronomy 22, 23, 24, and 25, and head on back.  What are you thinking about this morning?  Here’s what I am thinking:

Rough day… so many rules that we not have to adhere to under grace, but we still have to maintain a high standard of holiness, purity and morality.  There IS right and wrong, as much as our society would like us to forget.

Let’s read Deuteronomy 16:18-22, Deuteronomy 17, 18, 19, 20, and Deuteronomy 21:1-9. Busy day!

A couple of things…. I love Deuteronomy 20:4 MSG:

“Don’t waver in resolve. Don’t fear. Don’t hesitate. Don’t panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win”

When the Lord is with us in a battle, we can be assured that the end result IS victory – He means to win.  

I also liked the encouragement in Deuteronomy 20:20 about not cutting down trees:

When you mount an attack on a town and the siege goes on a long time, don’t start cutting down the trees, swinging your axes against them. Those trees are your future food; don’t cut them down. Are trees soldiers who come against you with weapons? The exception can be those trees which don’t produce food; you can chop them down and use the timbers to build siege engines against the town that is resisting you until it falls.

It made me think: even though these battles seems harsh to us, there was always a purpose. In man’s excitement over a victory, maybe he can become overzealous and do more damage than necessary, but we are warned against that. God doesn’t waste anything, and doesn’t want us to waste anything either.  When the battle is over, praise the Lord and let it be over.

This morning, we’ll read Deuteronomy 13, 14, 15, and 16:1-17.

“Yes. Obediently listen to God, your God. Keep all his commands that I am giving you today. Do the right thing in the eyes of God, your God” (13:18 MSG)

It stands out to me today that even though we sometimes think of the 40 years in the wilderness being a waste of time of a consequence for disobedience and full of crazy laws that seem to make life difficult…. Well, listening to Moses re-cap that period  of time, we see what it was REALLY about: learning how to be in relationship with our God who loves us so. That’s not at all a waste of time! If it takes 40 years, if it takes a lifetime, I’ll commit to it! God is so kind to us!

“You only are a people holy to God, your God; God chose you out of all the people on Earth as his cherished personal treasure” (14:2 MSG)

Please read Deuteronomy 10-12.  I know this is all a review, but I am loving it! Moses wants the people to know who they are and Whose they are as they enter the promised land.  

“So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in His presence in holy reverence, follow the road He sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I’m commanding you today—live a good life” (10:12-13 MSG)

Deut 10:12-13 says to live in God’s holy presence (I think purposefully).  Cut away the callouses from our heart.  Don’t harden against the Lord.  Don’t let anything desensitize you to His Holy Spirit.  What do you think God expects from you? Live a good life!

“Ruthlessly demolish all the sacred shrines” (12:2 MSG)

12:1-3 talks about ruthlessly tearing down shrines. our application is to ruthlessly cut out anything that threatens to take the place and priority that God should have in our lives.  Keep first things first. These are actions we must take every day! Be diligent and zealous to be obedient and live in God’s holy presence – be holy because He is holy.  These are actions WE must take – not things which God does for us. Don’t let anything take His place!

Please read Deuteronomy 6, 7, 8, and 9. Get your highlighters out-  you might want to highlight these blessings!  (I like to use a colored pencil or crayon, so the ink doesn’t bleed through my Bible pages!)

So many blessings and encouragements to stay obedient to the Lord! God will continue to increase His people, but don’t forget that all blessings and gifts come from Him. He is so good to us!

“Listen obediently, Israel. Do what you’re told so that you’ll have a good life” (6:3)

“Love God, your God, with your whole heart” (6:5)

“Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children” (6:6)

“Deeply respect God, your God. Serve and worship him exclusively” (6:13)

There are lots more!  The blessings of obedience are many.

“It will be a set-right and put-together life for us if we make sure that we do this entire commandment in the Presence of God, our God, just as He commanded us to do.” (6:25)

“And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God, on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, He will bless you, He will increase you. (7:12-13 MSG)

Amen and amen ❤

Deuteronomy 3:21-29, Deuteronomy 4-5.

I love Deuteronomy 4 – let’s read a little together, and the emphasis is mine:

“Now listen, Israel, listen carefully to the rules and regulations that I am teaching you to follow so that you may live and enter and take possession of the land that God, the God-of-Your-Fathers, is giving to you. Don’t add a word to what I command you, and don’t remove a word from it. Keep the commands of God, your God, that I am commanding you.

“You saw with your own eyes what God did at Baal Peor, how God destroyed from among you every man who joined in the Baal Peor orgies. But you, the ones who held tight to God, your God, are alive and well, every one of you, today.

Pay attention: I’m teaching you the rules and regulations that God commanded me, so that you may live by them in the land you are entering to take up ownership. Keep them. Practice them. You’ll become wise and understanding. When people hear and see what’s going on, they’ll say, “What a great nation! So wise, so understanding! We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Yes. What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them the way God, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us? And what other great nation has rules and regulations as good and fair as this Revelation that I’m setting before you today? Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.” (4:1-9)

Moses continually points the people to God – and points out how no nation on earth enjoyed the intimacy with God that they did, no other God like theirs, that they could pray to God and He listened… and this is even before Jesus! Sometimes we think of God as being a step removed or angry or far away, but He never was. He never is. He always wanted a close relationship with His children – and He still does today! Thank You, Father!

Please read Deuteronomy 1-2, Deuteronomy 3:1-20.  Let’s visit!

“These are the sermons Moses preached to all Israel when they were east of the Jordan River in the Arabah Wilderness” (1:1 MSG)

Now Moses will re-cap their history, teaching the people again their story with God as the centerpiece.  After 40 years, people have died and babies have been born.  It’s crazy to think about, but there are some in this company who have never known anything but wilderness. They need to know, before they enter the promised land, how they were guided and protected by the Lord up to this point – and also be encouraged that His faithfulness will continue!

Be encouraged by the past, not bound by it.

Please read Numbers 34, 35 and 36.  What is the Lord speaking to you through His Word this morning?  I’d love to hear your thoughts too!  Here’s what I am thinking about:

God spoke to Moses: “Command the People of Israel. Tell them, When you enter Canaan, these are the borders of the land you are getting as an inheritance” (34:1-2 MSG)

Moses is dividing up the land, the inheritance that he will not receive.  Again, I am struck by the fact that Moses continues in faithfulness, caring for the people and fulfilling his purpose.  He won’t enter the promised land, but his relationship with God and with the children of Israel continues.  (It’s not anyone else’s fault that he struck the rock instead of speaking to it – but I’m sure you’ve seen people misplace their discontent or misplace blame before.  Moses doesn’t do any of that).

 “Don’t desecrate the land in which you live. I live here, too—I, God, live in the same neighborhood with the People of Israel.” (35:34 MSG)

God said not to desecrate the place where they live because He lives there too. I like how the Message translates it “I live in the same neighborhood”.  Sweet reminder for us today – wherever we are, God is as well.  He is always with us ❤

And that’s the end of Numbers – we’re finished another book!

Please read Numbers 32-33.  I love these histories about Moses, do you?  Come on back and let’s visit about today’s reading:

“These are the camping sites in the journey of the People of Israel after they left Egypt, deployed militarily under the command of Moses and Aaron. Under God’s instruction Moses kept a log of every time they moved, camp by camp” (33:1-2 MSG)

I love that Moses kept a log (a journal) of all their travels while directed by God.  This would become a great encouragement to future generation! It’s important to understand the difference between REMEMBERING and RECORDING history versus DWELLING in the past while not allowing yourself to move forward.  This log would be a reminder that God was and will continue to be faithful. It would be a reminder that God will continue to strengthen the people as they moved forward. Part of the reason I journal too!

Please read Numbers 30- and 31.  Does anything stand out to you today?  Now that it has been 2 months of daily time in the Word, do you sense any change?  I can discern God’s voice more easily when I’m familiar with and tuned in to His precious Word! Here we go for day 68 – 

My Father God, if I allow His Holy Spirit to work in me, will give me wisdom as I make commitments/vows/promises.  Another thought – if only 1000 men from each tribe went to war with the Midianites (12,000 total) – the plunder from this battle seems incredible, huh? If God be for us (in any area of life), who can be against us?

Moses and Eleazar took the gold from the commanders of thousands and hundreds and brought it to the Tent of Meeting, to serve as a reminder for the People of Israel before God. (31:54 MSG)

I like how Moses always creates a reminder – it’s important to look forward, but it’s encouraging sometimes to look back.  If you can celebrate the past (not dwell on it, not be bound by it), then considering God’s faithfulness in the past can be a great encouragement.  He’ll do it again!