July 10 -- "A Stubborn People"

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 9 

"A Stubborn People"

Just like you and me, Israel was comprised of stubborn people who did not deserve any of God’s blessings.

God made a covenant with Israel and the people affirmed their desire to keep it, but failed repeatedly to do so.  At Sinai, the people promised to keep the commandments of the LORD, but broke them before they were even written down.  They repeatedly rebelled against God because they were a stubborn and stiff-necked people. Throughout the entire Old Testament, there is one narrative after another of their numerous rebellions against God.

But God, in His grace, repeatedly renewed His covenant with Israel even after they had rebelled.  Gracious God that He is, He showed his forgiveness of Aaron by allowing his son to be high priest after him; rewarded the Levites for opposing idolatry at the time of the golden calf; and forgave the people, allowing them to journey on to the Land He had promised them.

If their blessings had been based on their merit or virtue or goodness, then they were doomed.  But God’s blessings weren’t based on their merit, but on something much more certain – His unfathomable grace!

In the same way, you and I don’t have to earn God’s favor. We couldn’t even if we tried.  Like Israel, we too have made many a pledge to be better persons, more obedient, and more godly.  But before we even “come down the mountain,” we fail to keep those pledges. We are a stubborn and stiff-necked people.

And that’s the glorious news… God’s acceptance and favor in our lives are not based on how good we do or how virtuous or obedient we are.  They are based solely on His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  I cannot keep myself from falling or failing.  But, I know the One who can.  “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

July 9 -- "The Power to Obtain Wealth"

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 7 & 8 

"The Power to Obtain Wealth"

An often misunderstood principle in Scripture is that of the wealth of the believer.  Tragically, some influential pastors and leaders have promoted a “health and wealth” gospel.  They teach their unsuspecting listeners that it is their divine “right” as followers of Christ to have riches heaped upon them.  They go on to imply that if you’re not living a life of abundant material wealth, it is your lack of faith that has caused your want.

These so-called leaders will often misquote Deuteronomy 8:18, saying “it is God who has given [all of you] the power to obtain wealth.”  They go on to tell their followers that this worldly wealth is a part of their “new covenant” with God citing the second half of verse 18 “he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers.”

Sadly, this is a misunderstanding of the content and context of this verse.  In context, Moses is warning the people of Israel about the danger of self-glory and taking credit for the blessings they receive.  He warns them that if they start thinking to themselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Always remember that it is not you, but God who gave you the ability to produce all this wealth. 

The truth of Scripture regarding wealth is this: God calls people from all walks of life and all classes of society to be His children.  In God’s kingdom “the rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2)  God calls some to be rich and some to be poor.  “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?”  (James 2:5)

God uses all of us.  From every race, gender, ethnicity, and financial status. Have you been blessed with riches?  Great.  Enjoy the blessings of God.  And make sure you never trust in your wealth and lose sight of the fact that your purpose in life is to reach the lost and make disciples of all nations. Have you been called to be poor?  Great.  Enjoy the freedom of not being entangled with the world’s goods.  And make sure you don’t dwell on your poverty and lose sight that your purpose is also to reach the lost and make disciples of all nations.  As the Apostle Paul said, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”  (Philippians 4:11)

July 8 -- "The LORD is One"

 Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 6

"The LORD is One"

Today’s verse is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It is known as the “Shema Yisrael” or simply as “Shema” (pronounced as "shuh-MAH"). It is one of the most astounding verses in the entire Bible because it declares the one-ness and exclusiveness of God.  There is only one God and His name is “Yahweh.”  And because He is the only one – we must love Him with all our heart, soul, and might.

“Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one.” This verse encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism and Christianity.  The belief in one (and only one) God was a stark contrast to the religions of the cultures surrounding the Israelites. Other religious systems, including that of the Egyptians, served a wide variety of gods and goddesses. The worship of only one God made the faith of the Hebrews unique in the ancient world. 

When Christians say they believe in “God,” we mean the one-and-only Creator and Ruler of the universe and the Source of all life; the Supreme Being.  God, in Christianity, is a Being so superior to any other being or anyone or anything else, that nothing greater than Him exists nor could exist.

Any true relationship with God begins with this belief: that there is one – and only one – true and living God.  The LORD is absolutely God, and none other. He, and He alone, is the absolute, uncaused Creator and Sustainer of all.

The next logical step after acknowledging the only-ness of God is to love Him.  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  Because He is exclusively and uniquely God. We are to love Him with an exclusive love. 

We love God with all our heart when we love Him exclusively, Him and Him alone. We love God with all our soul when we find our satisfaction in Him more than any other person or thing.  We love God with all our might when we make decisions to obey His every command. As Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.” (John 14:21)

July 7 -- "Be Careful Not to Turn Aside"

 Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 5

"Be Careful Not to Turn Aside"

One of the most prevalent sins in Christianity today is the sin of “carelessness.”  So many people do not give as much care to their walk with God as necessary.  We give a great deal of attention to things like managing our investments, planning our vacation, and our kids’ sports.  But do we give that much attention to our spiritual walk?  Are we “careful” to obey God’s word?

Here, Moses strongly urges the people of God to be “careful” (watchful, vigilant, alert) to do as the LORD has commanded.  This is a call to repent of inattentiveness and distraction and place our efforts fully into following the Lord’s commands.

In chapter 4 of Deuteronomy, Moses urged the people to learn the truths of God so deeply that they go down into their heart and permeate every aspect of their being.  Today, he takes it a step further… once you have God’s word in your heart, be sure to obey it.  Don’t just know it, be very careful to observe it and do it.

He urges them not to turn aside to the right hand or left hand.  The way of truth and righteousness is a straight line; a person must walk straight forward who wishes to go to glory. No crooked or devious path ever led to God or His blessings.  There are no shortcuts.  Stay on the path. Proverbs 16:17 tells us that “The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.”  As God’s people we are to turn aside from evil while never turning aside from God and His righteousness.

Staying on course and not veering off the path is like sailing a ship across the vast and unpredictable ocean. The sailor sets a fixed destination and charts a course, guided by navigational tools and starry constellations. Amidst turbulent waves and changing winds, the sailor resists the temptation to change direction, knowing that doing so would lead the ship astray. With unwavering determination and a steady hand on the rudder, the sailor remains focused on the established route, ultimately reaching the desired port of safety. 

Similarly, in life, we must navigate through the challenges and distractions, holding fast to our moral compass and the teachings of our faith, without veering to the right or left to arrive at the "port" of purpose, righteousness, and everlasting life.

July 6 -- "Lay it to Your Heart"

 Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 4:25-49

"Lay it to Your Heart"

As Moses nears the end of his ministry, he pauses to give the Israelites an extremely important exhortation: take what you’ve learned about the LORD from me and “lay it to your heart.”  He tells them to take it to heart that God is in Heaven above; God is on Earth below; and He’s the only God there is.  He has no rival.  He has no equal.  Now and forever, God You reign.

Moses realizes he won’t be around much longer.  The people won’t be able to rely on him for their faith.  He won’t be the one to take their prayers to God.  It is now imperative that they take the things he has taught them and make sure the truth settles deep within each of their hearts.

Moses urges the Jews to take the truths they have been taught and turn them into convictions.  He tells them not to just “know” the truth about God, nor even to simply "believe" the truth, but to “lay it to your heart.” This phrase denotes the idea of holding a deeply held conviction deep in their very soul. He insists that God’s people must submerge their hearts so deeply into God’s truth such that it transforms them at the very core of their being. 

He is not talking about simply accepting a certain fact, or facts, about the LORD.  He is talking about a passionate conviction so deeply held that it becomes the very essence of who they are.  Know His truth.  Lay it in your heart.  Bury it so deeply that it merges with your spirit and permeates who you are. 

There comes a time in all of our lives, when we can no longer depend on the faith and convictions of others.  We must “know” the LORD for ourselves and take His truths and lay them so deeply into our hearts that they become our unbending convictions.  And, like Moses, I would exhort you today to know this well, and take it to heart right now: God is in Heaven above; God is on Earth below: He’s the only God there is.  

The Apostle Paul urges the same in Colossians 3:16, where he says to “Let the word of Christ have its home within you dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being.” [AMP]

July 5 -- "Don't Mess With God's Commands"

 Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-24

"Don't Mess With God's Commands"

The Lord says it is okay to copy His word, to speak it, to tell others about it, but not to change it.

Moses urged God’s people to listen to and to obey the laws of God.  Not to analyze them, criticize them, spiritualize them, compromise them, liberalize them, modernize them, or trivialize them.  They were exhorted to learn His commands, memorize them, and put them into practice.  And never. Ever. Ever to add to, or take away, from God’s words.

It is unnerving how some people like to mess around with the word of God, adding or taking away. Perhaps there is a command or doctrine that they don’t particularly care for, so they ignore it or delete it or twist it to fit their whim.  But that is something that we have been forbidden to do.  We are not to add or to diminish from that which God has declared. This warning is repeated over and over again in Scripture. Proverbs 30:6 says, “Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.”

In the final book of the Bible we read, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)

Every word of the Bible has been written for a Divine reason.  Every command of God is pure.  God has been very precise in the revelation He has given us.  He has told us all we need to live a life pleasing to Him.  And He is very protective of His word. As God is the author, He holds the eternal copyright. He says it is okay to copy it, to speak it, to tell others about it, but not to change it.  Be very careful about this.  Make sure you aren’t listening to those who produce their own version (or perversion) that agrees with their man-made heresy, to lead others astray. And make sure you listen to and obey God’s word, without compromise.  

“Whoever is of God hears the words of God.”  (John 8:47)

July 4 -- "The Person God Uses"

 Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 3

"The Person God Uses"

Moses had been a faithful leader of the Israelites for four decades.  But now it is time to pass on the leadership role to a new person. It is time to choose someone who could take them the rest of the way into the Land that God had promised them.  So, the LORD chooses Joshua, the son of Nun.

Why did God choose Joshua to be Moses’ successor and to lead Israel?  Because he was a person uniquely qualified to do so.

1) God chose Joshua because of his intimate, personal relationship with Himself. In Exodus, we read that Joshua stayed behind in the Tent of Meeting.  In fact, not only did Joshua stay in the Tent, but Scripture says he “would not depart” from it (Exodus 33:11). Joshua was simply spending time in God’s presence to know Him better because the beauty and majesty of God was so compelling that this young leader couldn’t resist soaking and worshiping the One who had obviously captivated his heart.

2) God chose Joshua because of his humble submissiveness, faithfulness and obedience.  Several times in Scripture we read, “So Joshua did as Moses said to him.”  God always chooses the person who is faithful in the day of small things. Someone willing to submit to the lead of others and do so with faithfulness.

3) God chose Joshua because of his faith.  He was willing to stand up for his convictions as was demonstrated in his positive report after spying out the land – “If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us” (Numbers 14:8).  This was not a time for wishy-washy faith.  God chose a man with deeply rooted faith.

4) God chose Joshua because of his know-how. He was an experienced military man.  Israel was about to face some of their harshest battles yet and they needed a man with the know-how to protect the people and defeat the enemy.  The LORD had been preparing Joshua for this his entire life.  Now he was ready.  Long before God calls men and women into ministry, He prepares them to take on that ministry.

5) God chose Joshua because of his reputation with the people. They knew him.  They had seen him in action.  Because of the quality of his character and demonstration of leadership, they had come to trust him.  The people were ready to follow his leadership.

Anyone called to serve the LORD should have the same qualifications as Joshua: a personal relationship with God; faithfulness to serve others; strong, obedient faith; experience and know-how; and the respect of God’s people.  A person like this cannot fail.