So many things jumped out at me today. I'm going to just jump from one thought to another and hopefully you can follow along...
I seldom notice or thank God for our van not breaking down, our health not failing or our furnace working - unless something happens to me or someone else to remind me that these are things I've been taking for granted. We have no idea all the blessings we've received that have simply gone unnoticed.
Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Deut 8:4
Moses reminded them that God did not choose them because of something they had done or because they deserved it. He choose them because of His grace and for His glory.
Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Deut 9:6
The problem with prosperity is it's so easy to begin to take credit for our own success, and to forget about God. These chapters were a reminder to the Israelites not to forget God when He blessed them.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day...You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who give you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deut 8:10, 11, 17, 18
He reminded them that when we take our focus off of God and place it on ourselves instead, things will go wrong.
Often we want to know what God expects of us. The answer is right here in this passage.
And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deut 10:12-13
Fear and respect God.
Walk in His ways, follow Him.
Love Him.
Serve Him.
Obey Him.
Pretty simple. Well, simple words. Not so easy follow through. But our follow through is a huge indicator of the condition of our hearts.
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. Deut 10:16
Click here to read Nancy Leigh DeMoss discussion on the temptation of Christ. The thing that really got me was that Jesus defeated Satan as a man, not as God. He didn't draw upon some supernatural powers to defeat Satan. He drew upon the Word of God He had studied and memorized and learned as a man.
We have the exact same weapons at our disposal.
Are we using them?
Tomorrow's passage: Deuteronomy 11-13, Luke 4:31-44
6 comments:
I have SO appreciated the ROH series, especially the last two or three broadcasts.
I like that stiff-necked people verse. Mostly because it really applies to me and how I am chosen in Christ even though I continuously mess up and almost never glorify God the way I'm pretty sure I should. I'm actually quite glad salvation can't be earned because I'd never make it!!
This is another one of those verses that seems to support the doctrine of divine election (not to stir anything up here ~ honest!) and emphasizes that God has chosen a people specifically for His glory. It's interesting how we accept that He set apart the Israelites for Himself in the Old Testament, and yet we have trouble with the idea that His followers are still being "chosen." I wonder if Israel's surrounding neighbours were as offended by that concept as we are?
Nuts, I forgot to log out after updating the church site again! Sorry, that was ME!!
Love your thoughts here Tammy. So true that the concept of what God expects of us is so simple, yet so difficult to follow through on a daily - hourly - basis!
"Jesus defeated Satan as a man, not as God. He didn't draw upon some supernatural powers to defeat Satan. He drew upon the Word of God He had studied and memorized and learned as a man.
We have the exact same weapons at our disposal."
SO true, yet often I wonder why why why, and then can open up my Bible and have the answer right there in front of me...
Thanks for today's post Tammy :)
So true. It's much easier to dwell on the stuff that is going wrong, than to count the blessings of things going right.
I thought "we have the exact same weapons at our disposal" was especially meaningful. Thanks.
I really noticed this time, as perhaps I never have before, that Jesus answered Satan with Scripture, rather than his own words when he was tempted. It really emphasized to me the importance of KNOWING the Bible, memorizing it, and having those necessary verses available to us whenever we need them. Great post, Tammy!
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