Monthly Archives: March 2013

March 21

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Deuteronomy 27, 28

I’ve been a Christian for decades. But I haven’t always had a close relationship with God. There have been times, years really, that although I professed to be a Christian I held on to sin or neglected my walk by not reading the Bible, praying, or going to church. On the outside I might have looked like a good girl, inside God was fighting for a position in my heart.

Moses told the Israelites if they obeyed God they would be so blessed. But if they disobeyed they would experience the list of horrible consequences. Deuteronomy 28:55&56 says:

Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.

That was my experience when I began to walk away from the Lord. And the farther I got from Him, the more it was true.

I am burdened for all of us today. God doesn’t want us to live like that. If we are feeling anxious, despair, dread or longing maybe it’s God saying, “Come back to me”.

Father, thank you that you are the giver of good things, that you long for us to walk with you and enjoy our journey. Thank you for those uncomfortable feelings that can remind us to put you first in our lives. And may you find us willing to do that today.

March 20

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Deuteronomy 23-26

Sometimes when I read the Bible certain things jump out at me. Other times not so much. This morning was one of those “not so much” times. I would love to know if God pointed out something to you as you read today.

In these chapters of Deuteronomy Moses continues to talk to Israel about the Promised Land, about how God wants them to treat each other, about where they have been.

I am reminded that this is Moses’ last address to the people before he dies. He tells them how important it is that they not sin, that they treat each other fairly, that they do the work that needs to be done. The nation of Israel was to look and act differently from every other nation on earth. And God would bless them.

As I meditate on God’s Word today God is saying the same thing to me. He wants me to stand out from the crowd as well.

Dear God, You are asking me to be the person in my neighborhood with a reputation for being honest, kind, moral, caring and trustworthy. May I stand out from the crowd as someone who loves You, obeys You and is blessed by You. And may they recognize my Savior as they observe me today.

March 19

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Deuteronomy 19-22

For me the theme of this portion of Scripture seems to be… purge the evil from among you. That phrase is repeated several times.

Once again I am thankful that God does not ask us to kill sinners this side of the cross. But I am reminded that He wants me to have the same attitude about sin as He does. Purge. Get rid of it. Don’t tolerate it in any form in my life.

As I take a good look at my life, do I see evidence of sin which I’ve held on to or ignored? God is reminding me today that He is not ignoring it. He’s not just asking me to be a good person. He’s demanding that I be holy.

This Scripture also reminds me that “cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree.” Jesus did that for me. He hung on that cross stripped of everything but His love for me. And today I can stand before Him, cleansed by the blood of His sacrifice.

Father, reveal sin in my life so that I can purge the evil from within me. As you bring to mind those things that dishonor you, may I repent, turn away from sin and allow you to cleanse me. Thank you again today for the cross… that tree that cursed You and blessed me.

March 18

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Deuteronomy 15-18

God established the Passover as a reminder to the Jews what God had done for them when he miraculously rescued them from captivity. They sacrificed the Passover in the evening, when the sun went down, on the anniversary of their departure from Egypt. God wanted them to do this every year on the anniversary so no generation of Jews would ever forget what God had done for them.

Observing the Passover was the last thing Jesus did with his disciples before he went to the cross. I wonder what it was like to sit down to the Passover feast with the One who established it, the One who had led them out of Egypt in the first place?

But Jesus changed it up a little that night with his disciples. As he served them the bread and the cup he proclaimed that they were his body and blood given for them. And he asked them to remember Him every time they ate and drank in this manner.

Easter is just around the corner. It’s the Christian’s version of Passover… when we remember our own miraculous rescue from captivity. It’s the time of year when we stop and recall what Jesus did when he died on the cross, the sacrifice for our sin.

It’s my favorite holiday of the year. No other religion can say this about their gods:

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, would die for me?

March 17

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Deuteronomy 12-14

Moses is explaining to the Israelites that once they have settled in the Promised Land God would choose a place for His dwelling. In one of their cities God would direct them to build a more permanent tabernacle where the ark would rest and where an altar would be built for sacrifices. Once a year all Jews were to go that place to eat their tithe in the presence of the Lord.

Here’s what I noticed this morning. Moses told them that if they were blessed by the Lord, if their ten percent involved much grain, new wine and oil, and if the designated city was too far for them to carry everything, they were to sell their tithe for silver, travel to the city and buy their tithe’s equivalent and complete their sacrifice at the place God chose as a dwelling for His Name.

Moses doesn’t say… if you are blessed with too much to carry, then just do your own sacrificing at a more convenient place. Or he didn’t say if you have too much just bring what you can.

Once again I am reminded that there is no short-cuts to forgiveness. God requires us all to come to Him on His terms. We don’t go to the temple today because we have Jesus. And Jesus tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. There just isn’t any other provision for the forgiveness of sin.

Dear Lord, I am thankful today that you painted this picture of your requirement for sacrifices in the Old Testament. Thank you that you are the same today as you were when these words were written. Thank you for Jesus. And thank you for providing the way to forgiveness through His blood. May we not be fooled into thinking there are any short-cuts.

March 16

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Deuteronomy 9-11

Ok I get it. Three times in 9:4-6 Moses tells Israel that it’s not because of their righteousness or integrity that they were going to live in Canaan. In fact Moses calls them stiff-necked people and reminds them of the many times they’ve disobeyed God… to the point God was ready to destroy them.

God had made a promise to Abraham and he was going to honor that promise. The Jews were going into Canaan but it wasn’t about them. It was about God.

It is always about God.

We were created by God for God. We are created to love and worship Him. Sometimes I think we get caught up in what God can do for us. The forgiveness, the peace, the joy are all amazing blessings that come from walking with God and obeying Him. But when we walk with God we are simply doing what we were created to do.

The Jews were going into Canaan to live in houses they didn’t build and eat food they didn’t plant. But it wasn’t because they were good enough.

God is telling us to put on righteousness we didn’t earn, but not because we are good enough, either. It’s His righteousness so that we can fellowship with Him.

I find it amazing and humbling that the God of creation wants to fellowship with me. It’s not because I’m a good person or go to church every Sunday or read my Bible. I am a sinner who has accepted His forgiveness. I stand before Him wearing His righteousness because I have none of my own.

Because of Him I am able to be the person I was created to be.

March 15

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Deuteronomy 6-8

Did you recognize a couple of these verses as ones Jesus quoted in the gospels? 6:5 and 8:3 were both spoken by the Savior during his time on earth. He taught by example that knowing Scripture is important in the life of a believer.

Moses challenges us to put God’s commands in our hearts, to impress them on our children, to talk about Scripture in our homes and as we go about our day. He even suggests we wear symbols on our foreheads and paint our doorposts with Scripture.

I have to ask myself if God’s Word is that visible to others when they look at my life. Do I display God’s Truth in my actions and in my speech?

I may be the only Bible my unsaved friends are reading today.

You know, there are a lot of good books out there that talk about Scripture. There are some great commentaries. There are even some blogs about Scripture :).  But there is no substitute for the real thing. I hope you spend time every day reading and thinking and talking about God’s Word.

Parents, I trust you are teaching your children to love God’s Word. I hope they observe you spending time in those precious pages.

My prayer is that we all will take Moses’ challenge. May Scripture play an important part in our day to day lives. May we  not only read, but commit to memory verses that speak to us. And may others see the God of Scripture in us.

March 14

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Deuteronomy 3:12-5:33

The Bible is truly God’s love letter to us. Did you hear him tell you how much he loves you as you read Moses’ words to the Israelites? Remember that the flesh and blood nation of Israel is a beautiful picture of the church and what God said to them thousands of years ago he says to us today.

Here is what I hear him say this morning:

4:7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him.

4:29,30 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.

4:31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God.

5:29 Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever.

I don’t know. I see throughout the pages of God’s written word a repetitive theme. God loves people. God wants to bless people. God is interested in keeping us close.

May you go about your day’s activities aware that you are loved by the God of creation… by the God who is near when we pray, who wants to be found, who is merciful, and who wants to bless us forever.

March 13

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Deuteronomy 1:1-3:11

Moses knows he is going to die soon. So what is it he wants to leave with the Israelites? These words in Deuteronomy record his last message to the nation he had led for forty years.

Moses begins by going over their history together. Remember, his audience had been pretty young when the Israelites left Egypt and arrived at the Jordan some forty years before. It was their parents’ disbelief which caused them to wander in the desert without ever taking the land God had promised them.

Now that generation is gone and the oldest Jew is only around 60 years old. Yet Moses is speaking to them as though it was their sin and not their parents’ who kept them out of Canaan.

We are all products of our upbringing. Raised by imperfect parents we are all imperfect people. Some of us have a great deal to overcome and some of us are living on solid foundations. But here is what God is saying to me today. We have choices. We can live in the past, blame our parents for our struggles, and allow the past to prevent us from ever seeing Canaan. Or we can give it to God and allow Him to heal us. We can, if necessary, refuse to walk the path our parents walked and enjoy a close relationship with the Father who will never fail us.

Moses is right to go over their history with these young Israelites. It’s important for us to take a realistic look at where we’ve been, too. But we don’t have to live there. If you are carrying the burden of your past, I pray you will find a counselor, pastor, or a friend who loves the Lord. Talk to someone who can help you find the answers you need and the courage to go on. God wants us to enjoy this journey.

I am praying for each of you who find this blog today. You may be one who is hurting. Or you may be one who can encourage someone who is. As God speaks to you, may He find you willing to obey.

March 12

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Numbers 34-36

The Old Testament doesn’t really say anything about rehabilitating criminals, does it? Their laws were pretty black and white. If you murder someone you die.

I don’t want to get into a debate about capital punishment and I praise God for men and women who have found the Savior while paying a debt to society. But once again I am reminded that God cannot tolerate sin. He cannot let the guilty go unpunished and the wages of sin is death.

When a person gives his or her life to the Lord that person is justified by faith. I have heard it explained that means God looks on him, “just as if I’d never sinned”. In a sense that is true. When we become Christians our Holy God looks on us as clean, spotless, even holy. But make no mistake about it. That position comes at quite a cost.

It’s not as if I’ve never sinned. Its that every sin I’ve ever committed nailed Jesus to the cross. He didn’t just tear up the bill and forgive the debt. He paid the debt of my sin in full with his own precious blood.

As we come into the Easter season I am reminded how much Jesus loves me and what my sins cost him. How can I help but love him when he loved me so?

Dear God, once again I thank you for your Word. Thank you for reminding us how serious you are about sin and what our sin cost Jesus. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for forgiveness. And thank you for such an amazing love.