Deuteronomy Chpt. 9

¹ Hear, O Israel: Thou [art] to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

² A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and [of whom] thou hast heard [say], Who can stand before the children of Anak!

³ Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God [is] he which goeth over before thee; [as] a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

⁴ Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

⁵ Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

⁶ Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou [art] a stiffnecked people.

⁷ Remember, [and] forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.

⁸ Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you.

How often do we think in our own lives that we receive blessings simply because of our own righteousness? How often do we inwardly think that we are blessed over others simply because of the "good" that we have done.


Moses was telling the Israelites here that God doesn't bless on the account of our righteousness. He warned them against becoming puffed up and self-righteous. He also reminds them that in actuality they are not really any better than the people that have turned their backs on the Lord. He reminds them of their past sins so that they would see the mercy of God on them in spite of what they had done.


The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8,9 and 11,12 that it is only by God's grace and mercy that He saves us from a much deserved fate. It has nothing to do with the good that we do but everything to do with the greatness that is in Him.


My questions to you today are:

• Have you been cleansed by the blood of Christ? Has He been made your Saviour today? It's only through Him that we will ever see the glorious Kingdom that so many await.
• Have you become a little self-righteous today? Do you tend to think more of the things that you do than you should?
• Have you pondered on what the Lord has saved you from? Do you look at your past, see where you are in the present and rejoice that Christ is your future?
• When was the last time you bowed your head and thanked the Lord for changing you and bringing you to where you are today?

Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy Chpt. 8

These are verses that have probably spoken to my heart the most while reading the book of Deuteronomy.

¹ All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.

² And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

³ And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

⁴ Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

⁵ Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, [so] the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

⁶ Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

God desires our faithfulness. He lays that out in verse 1. He wants us to simply do that which He tells us. (Isn't that what we want from our own children as well?) The Israelites went through some tough times, some discouraging times but God gives the reason in verse 2. He allowed difficulties to humble His children-we can do nothing effectively for Him if we are proud and lifted up. He allowed difficulties to test them; their faith in Him and their obedience to His commandments. He wanted what was in their hearts to come out. He wanted to know the level of their faith and obedience to Him.

How often in our own lives do difficulties come our way that He has allowed so that we can be tested, so that our faith can be proven? I know that I'm going through some trials right now and I'm telling you my faith is really being put to the test! But look at verses 3 and 4.

Even though God's people were out wandering for years, they lacked nothing. Not food, clothing, shelter, nothing. Nothing ever ran out or got worn out. Why? Because it's by the Words of our God that we live. God may not have provided them with what they desired but He provided them with what they needed. They never lacked.

And neither will we. Oh it may seem at times like things are really dreary and we are being left to suffer on our own but as God's children, He will care for us. He will provide us with what we need exactly when we need it. Isn't God good?!

So what do we do? We simply be obedient. Verse 6 says it all. Simply trust and obey. He will take care of the rest.

My questions to you today are:

• Are you going through a trial today? Maybe it's one that God is allowing to purge you from self so that He can prepare you for something wonderful on the other side of your dark valley.
• Are you putting all of your trust in Him or are you trying to take matters into your own hands?
• Have you thanked Him for the good He has provided in your life thus far? Maybe you don't have what you want but surely He has provided you with what is right for today.
• Are you obeying His words, walking with Him daily and fearing Him today?

We have no idea the scope of blessings that the Lord has in store for us...but we can be sure that if we honor Him He will honor us.

Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy Chpt. 7

In this chapter we find how strongly God stresses to His children to not take up the lifestyles of those around them. He stresses to not go after the gods that they were serving, to not desire their silver and gold, to not allow their children to marry with the children of the people that were living around them.

God desired and still does, for His children to live within this world but with a life that is set apart, separate and clean from the filth that is around those who call Him Father.

God promises in this chapter to be faithful to the promises that He gave to the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob if only the Israelites would stay faithful to Him.
⁶ For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.

⁷ The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people:

⁸ But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

⁹ Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

As I read this I can't help but reflect on my life and the life of our children and wonder if there is anything that we have allowed to creep in that God never intended. I pray that the Lord would give me and McPop discerning hearts and wise minds so that we are always aware of what comes in and out of our home. Whether it be the shows we allow our children to watch, the friends we allow them to keep or the things that we use during our homeschool day. My desire is that all of these things work together to continue to help us be a family that honors and pleases the Lord in all that we do.

¹¹ Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

¹² Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

¹³ And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee:

What about you today? 

• Is your life pleasing to Him or are there things that you need to purge?
• Are you living a life that is wholly honoring to God or are you allowing more and more of this world to penetrate your home and the hearts of those that dwell there?
• Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and discernment. He is faithful to give all that we ask for, if we but ask.

Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy Chpt. 6

Wow, this is a full chapter!!! Some very well known and awesome verses are found in Deut. 6. I'll quote my favorites:

⁵ And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

⁶ And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

⁷ And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

⁸ And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

⁹ And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

There's a lot there isn't there? I found it neat that so many times throughout this book God has Moses tell the Israelites the same thing over and over, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." I believe that maybe God knows that if we can remember and do that then the things that He asks us to do will be done because of the immense love that we have for Him. Also though, this shows that God wants ALL of our attention. He wants us to love Him with ALL that we have within us. That means that there would be no room for the things of this world, that HE would be our focus.

¹⁰ And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

¹¹ And houses full of all good [things], which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;

¹² [Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

¹³ Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

¹⁴ Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which [are] round about you;

¹⁵ (For the LORD thy God [is] a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

In these verses God is giving Israel a glimpse of the "good life" to come in the Promised Land. Everything will be there for them, already done. They won't have the back breaking work of preparing anything, He will have it there for them. But God, knowing His creation tells Moses to warn them to not get too comfortable in the "good life" and forget Who is was that gave them all of that. He knows our nature so well doesn't He? When things are easy and good we don't go to Him, depend on Him or cling to Him like we do when things are just a bit shaky in our lives.

But I see from verse 14 that God wasn't going to completely remove all temptations from the Israelites. He tells them to not go after the other gods that are around them. God could have, had He wanted to, erected a wall around His children so impenetrable that no temptation would ever infiltrate their land but He didn't. He left some temptations close by. Why? My guess is so that the faithfulness of the Israelites, who had seen miracles and wonders that you and I never have, could be put to the test. Remember, when it's too easy, we fail to depend on Him like we should.

So, my questions to you today are these:

• Do you love the Lord with all that is within you? Is He your focus day in and day out? Or is there something that has taken His treasured first place in your life?
• Have the blessings that He's so lovingly bestowed upon you today been the exact things that have caused your faith and dependency on Him to wane? 
• What temptations do you face today are those that He has allowed? Not all are from God, many are from our own wrong choices, but which were allowed by Him to grow you?
• Are you leaning on Him today?

Well, those are my thoughts on this awesome chapter. I really have fallen in love with the book of Deuteronomy. Thanks for reading.

Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy Chpt. 5

³² Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

³³ Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and [that it may be] well with you, and [that] ye may prolong [your] days in the land which ye shall possess.

Oh that we would just keep going. Not looking to the left and wondering "what if I do this instead?" or to the right saying, "well, why can't it be this way?" Just keep going. Straight. Eyes right on. Not doubting. Not inwardly complaining.

Just.

keep.

going.


Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy Chpt. 4

Moses is reminding the Israelites that God wants them to follow the words that have been spoken through him to them so that they will be allowed to go into the Promised Land. He tells them that they are not to remove or add to any of the words which have been spoken to them. They are to take them just as they are and obey them. Moses also reminds them that those that turned from the Lord and followed after Baalpeor were destroyed from among them but those that stayed faithful and true to God were spared.

Moses says in verse 6, "Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." If the Israelites would only keep to the words of the Lord and obey them it would be within that obedience that they would be found wise in the Lord. What it really would have been is God blessing them and making them great because of their obedience.

This should be a reminder to all Christians that if we just do what is written in His word, if we just obey His voice God would give us the wisdom that we need to do what is required or desired of us.

Moses goes on to ask them who else has a God so close and ready when His people call on Him and what other people have a God whose statutes are so right and just? Our God is the only God who is quick to listen when we call.

The Lord understands His creation and their fallen nature however so He has Moses remind His children with the following important words, "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons' and thy sons' sons." vs. 9

Oh that this would be the desire and goal of every parent and grandparent, aunt and uncle, brother and sister who believes in God. First that we would be careful about our own personal walk with God that we would guard our own hearts and spend time with Him alone to keep our spirits right, diligently, which means that it will  take work!! But then so that we would not forget about all of the great things that God has done through us and for us we should begin to teach them to our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, younger brothers and sisters. How important we are as individuals to this legacy for Christ!!

Moses then goes on to remind the children of Israel what happened at the base of Mt. Horeb when the Lord appeared to them in a fire and they were given the 10 commandments. Moses carefully and wisely tells them that it was not some spirit that they witnessed there but the one true God, the Almighty. He does this so that they would be warned to not go and serve after idols whether they be idols of spirits or idols of the earth. He warns them in later verses that if they go on in future years to create idols and follow after other gods that they would be utterly destroyed and perish from the land of Jordan. They would be separated and left in small numbers to suffer under the hands of men.

But as always there is a promise. Moses tells them that if they would stay faithful or even return to the Lord their God even in the day of their tribulation He would hear them for He is a merciful God and He would hearken unto them.

How wonderful a God we have that constantly pours out His mercy toward sinners such as us!

In the final verses Moses' message to God's chosen people is this:

³⁹ Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thine heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.

⁴⁰ Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong [thy] days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

What a message and reminder that is for the people of God today! Our Lord, HE IS GOD!!

Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy Chpt. 2

A verse that spoke to me from this chapter:
 "For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God [hath been] with thee; thou hast lacked nothing." vs. 7


So often we exert so much energy trying to attain that which we believe is needful, what we believe is necessary. Yet we question when that need isn't filled, often forgetting that God doesn't give us what we think we need but He gives us what He knows need...and only just enough to keep us from lacking but not so much that it keeps us from leaning on Him.

 "If we keep from what God forbids, we shall not lose by our obedience."

Lovin' Learnin'

Deuteronomy-chpt. 1

I just finished reading through the book of Deuteronomy. It took me just over a month but I am glad to have read through it. It is a book just full of events. I am going to *try* to sum up over the next few weeks some of the things that the Lord showed me while reading this book. But I warn you, don't expect anything profound!! :)

The books opens with Moses telling the children of Israel that there were so many of them that he couldn't alone possible lead them all. This is when the Lord sepearates them out and gives captains over differing numbers of them. He then procedded to tell the captains for judges how they were to rule the people, justly and if there was a situation too hard for them to deal with they were to come to Moses.

He continues by recounting the events of the twelve men who went to spy on Canaan. He reminds the Israeliets of how the Lord wanted to give them a wonderful place, a fruitful land but first there was going to be some "work." 10 of the 12 spies came back with tales of how difficult it would be to overtake the giants of the land, they focused on the impossible. Only 2 of them, Joshua and Caleb told of the wonderous things that were there. Moses had encouraged the Israelites to not fear that GOD had promised them the land. It was already done, they just needed to follow in obedience.

The Israelites were afraid. They were too overcome by their fear to see that if they would only continue in obedience God would do that which they thought was impossible. They refused. No manner of encouraging from Moses would deplete the fear, doubt and anger that had risen in the hearts of the people.

Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes" Deut. 1:29,30

The Lord became wroth with His people. He tells Moses that none of the adults would see the land except for Caleb, because he had "wholly followed the Lord" and Joshua, who was to lead the Israelites after Moses' death. The children of the time, those not old enought to discern between right and wrong were also allowed to see the Promised Land.

How sad it is to think that just a wonderful blessing was witheld because of the lack of faith in God's people. Reading through this chapter caused me to reflect heavily on my own life and wonder how many times I've missed out on the blessings of God simply because I would not trust in what God had already said He would done. It was a very convicting chapter to me. Since reading this chapter 1 o Deuteronomy a few weeks ago I have been more attentive to my own faith. I have strived to see God through things that I would have otherwise been afraid of or angry about.

I know that God holds so many great things in store for us, if we would only believe!

As many of you know the Israelites realized their mistake and decided to go and fight against the Canaanites. It was too late however. God had turned away from them. Moses warned them that they would receive no help from God but they refused to listen, went up to fight anyway and lost horribly. How sad to think that had they obeyed the first time this battle would have been a victorious one. But now they were left with heartache and loss. All for a lack of faith.

Lovin' Learnin'