Devotional Thoughts

Deuteronomy 9:6    "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." In order to properly understand this writing, I want to remind us that the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, does not represent the eternal heaven where God's people will go when we pass from this life. We can know that is true because they had many battles to fight and many enemies to overcome once they entered the land. I can assure you there will be no enemies and no battles in the eternal heaven. But as blood bought, Spirit born children of God, we do have enemies and battles and struggles to endure as we go through this life. The land of Canaan is representative of the Kingdom of Heaven (Kingdom of God) which can be experienced and enjoyed here in this life before we ever reach the eternal heaven.  What consists of the kingdom of heaven? Let's use the definition from the Word of God.  "For t

Deuteronomy 8:15    "Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint" We often see pictures that depict "before and after" results of weight loss programs or exercise programs.  People who are experts at showcasing their products know exactly how to present the contrasts in such a way to cause consumers to make the purchase. In today's text, God is reminding the people where they have been. He reminds them of the hardships they have endured. You endured serpents and scorpions. There was danger around every turn. You were hungry and thirsty. You went through this cycle for forty years. God is the God of contrast. He showed them where they had been and reminded them where He was taking them.  "For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out

Deuteronomy 8:1-3    "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.  (vs 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.  (vs 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." Part of a song by Jeff Easter says, "There's a roof up above me. I've a good place to sleep. There's food on my table, And shoes on my feet."  Many people tend to count blessings based upon the natural realm. We have the things which make for comfor

Deuteronomy 7:23-26  "But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.  (v 24)  And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.  (v 25)  The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.  (v 26)  Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing." God made promises to Israel concerning His handling of the people of the land into which they were going.  He would deliver them into the hands of Israel. If they felt the people were too difficult for them, then He (God) would

  Jesus Teaching By The Sea, James Tissot The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. – Genesis 49:10 Many important prophecies related to the Messiah concern Him descending from Judah, Jesse, and David. As the generations passed, the view of the Redeemer promised by God became clearer and clearer. Following the promise given to Eve that a son would be born to bruise or crush the head of the serpent that had beguiled her, Abraham was promised that in him all the people of the world would be blessed, and he and Sara were promised a son despite their old age. Abraham’s faith was later tested to the extreme when God commanded him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice, but the Lord stayed Abraham’s hand raised with a knife and provided a ram for the sacrifice. Thus we see in Isaac the first foreshadowing of the sacrifice fulfilled in the Messiah. Isaac’s two son’s Jacob and Esau are both men

Deuteronomy 7:6-8    "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." "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God."  This statement stands on its own merit.  If there were no other explanatory thoughts in today's passage, these words would stand true. You are holy unto the LORD your God.  But if the explanation was not in place, we would try to understand why we are holy and what made us holy.  First, what does it mean to be holy?  Accordin

Deuteronomy 7:4-6a     "For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. (5)  But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. (6)  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God..." I repeat yesterday's verse with additional thoughts concerning putting away those things that are detrimental to our Spiritual health.  The gods of this world have a definite effect on our lives. They affect us in ways which cannot be seen until they "boil to the surface."  They begin in our minds by entrapping us through chains of addiction. Chemical elements, such as drugs and alcohol, come to mind when we think of addictions; yet, there are many other addictions which can affect us in other ways. We can be addicted to our work. We can be addicted to mon

  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. – Daniel 9:25 Daniel had proven on multiple occasions that he was a man of God blessed with understanding and wisdom. In the year Darius became king of Persia, Daniel was studying the words of the prophet Jeremiah, and he understood that the Israelite captivity in Babylon would last 70 years due to their sin. Daniel confessed the sin of Israel and prayed for mercy upon Jerusalem. In the midst of this prayer, he received a visit from the angel Gabriel and a vision of the coming days when the full measure of God’s mercy would be given. The countdown had begun. The Messiah or Christ would come to save His people from their sins once and for all. At the time of Jesus’s birth some remembered this prophecy, and it seems clear that D

  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. – Isaiah 53:11 While it is not pleasant to consider the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ at Christmas, it is important to remember that the Holy Child born in Bethlehem would one day bear the sins of His people with the same innocence and humility of a newborn. Only in the case of Jesus Christ, He was sinless and completely innocent. He was  always  Righteous and  always  perfectly, flawlessly Holy. When Jesus died on Calvary, God the Father was satisfied with the travail of the Savior’s soul. He was satisfied that the price of our sins had been paid. As the Lord declared with His last breath on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Lamb of God was slain and God was satisfied for all time and all manner of people. It may be unpleasant, even horrible, to consider that someone had to suffer for our sins, but I am blessed

Deuteronomy 7:4    "For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly." "For they will turn away thy son." God is giving warnings to His children and in turn, they are to give warning to their children. He tells them, concerning the people in the land of Canaan, that they will have gods that are contrary to Him. He tells the people to "utterly destroy them." There was a reason for this instruction concerning the people. The influence of their gods would cause the people of Israel to turn away if they were not destroyed.   The sad commentary about the Israelites is found a generation later. They did not follow God's instruction to destroy all the nations that had inhabited Canaan before the land was given to them. They allowed some, or portions, of the nations to remain.  It did not happen overnight, but the influence of those people and t

  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14 From the very beginning, everything about the birth of Christ was miraculous. The Bible gives us accounts of a few miraculous births such as Isaac and Samuel who were born to barren women. However, they were born under otherwise natural means. Other babies were born to grow into a champion to save God’s people from oppression and chaos such as Samson. Others were promised to become prophets to lead the people back to God and His will. None other than Jesus of Nazareth was born to a virgin who had not known the intimacy of marriage. Some have tried to explain away Isaiah 7:14 as a reference to a young mother who had not previously known a man before conception. However, the New Testament does not leave us this option. Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel who announced to her that she would be with child of the Holy Ghost. Her resulting pre

Deuteronomy 6:20-24    "And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?  (21)  Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:  (22)  And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:  (23)  And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.  (24)  And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day." I sometimes have to wonder if we have lost the art of conversation. I have mentioned in previous writings about being concerned that we have lost the art of listening, which is indeed a part of conversing with one another.  I bring this at the beginn

  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. – Luke 1:34-35 Rule #1 in the Bible is that God is sovereign. God is in control. As we go through the Christmas season, we must come back to this rule because Jesus was born according to God’s purpose, timing, and methods. Other than Mary, no one else was involved, and she was involved to establish Jesus coming through a natural method if via miraculous means. The Christ was born of Mary but exclusively by the power of the Highest. No matter what you think upon this Christmas time, remember that it was all possible because of God’s care for His people. Jesus Christ is God’s answer to sin, darkness, pain, and death. His virgin birth was just the beginning of a miraculous life exclusively dedic

Deuteronomy 6:16    "Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah." Just previous to this statement, the Lord had spoken through Moses, "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" (Deuteronomy 6:13-14) Let us first see what happened at the place called Massah.  "And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?" (Exodus 17:7)  This was the first time the Lord provided water from the rock. He told Moses on this occasion to strike the rod with his staff and water would come forth from the rock.  But God also warned the people because of their doubt "and because they tempted the LORD, saying, ''Is the LORD among us, or not?" How could the people have ever doubte

Deuteronomy 6:10-12    "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." We find warnings throughout the Word of God concerning "forgetting God".  Here we see God, through Moses, giving this warning to the people of Israel. I remember a few times when I was traveling and my GPS would take me through some "wilderness" areas where there seemed to be no one or nothing around. I remember thinking (and praying) that my GPS would not lose service; otherwise I might never be seen

Deuteronomy 6:4-5   "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5)  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." "Hear, O Israel."  Though it may not be with the same vocal impact, these words are akin to the words of Jesus when He would say, "Verily, Verily," or "Truly, Truly."  They were meant to draw the attention of the people to what was about to be said.  Moses was meek, but these words were so important to the people that he began with words that would be of strong force. It would be as our parents probably said to us at some time or other, "Listen to me. Let me have your full attention." What was of such importance that Moses required them to stop whatever they were doing in order to hear the words that would follow?  "The LORD our God is one LORD."  We might tend to think this would have already been fully understood by the people.  But Moses knew th

Deuteronomy 5:33    "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." There is a part of me that wonders what was going through Moses' mind as he spent this time recounting the forty years that had just passed.  In this chapter, he has recalled his time on the mountain with the Lord.  He is repeating the ten commandments to the people and surely he was recalling the Lord's presence on the mountain top. He had heard the voice of God. He had experienced something that no one else had ever experienced. He had been, as it were, face to face with the Lord - and lived. I wonder if he was feeling deep remorse for his moment of anger when he had gone against the direction of the Lord. Was he remembering distinctly the voice of the Lord saying, "Speak to the rock"?  Was he feeling the jolt of the staff as he angrily st

Deuteronomy 4:39-40     "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." Moses had just reminded the people of the law and commandments given to them by the Lord. He recounted that he would not be entering the land of Canaan. But he took this time to encourage them in the service unto the Lord. His words were basically, "Take the commandments and use them as guidelines for your daily walk with the Lord." Why is it important for us to have guidelines by which to live?  The truth of the matter is that everyone lives by a set of rules. Some may think they make their own rules as they go along in life. But the t

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27 As I sit and enjoy the Lord's creation and I feel the cool breeze blow across my skin, I am reminded of the peace that we find when we stop to appreciate the works of God. While we cannot necessarily count on another tomorrow in this world, all of God’s children have the assurance of something purer, something brighter, in the world to come. This brings peace when everything seems chaotic and difficult here and now. Jesus Christ was and remains a complex Person. Not only do we have to wrestle with His dual nature, we must face the depth of His teachings. Many of the Lord’s teachings are easy to grasp even if they are hard to apply. (Have you tried loving your enemies lately?) However, some of the Messiah’s sayings make us think very hard indeed. Isaiah 9:6 famously reveals that the virgin born Son of God would be the Prin

Deuteronomy 4:7-8    "For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?  (8)  And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?" Because of his disobedience, God had already reaffirmed that Moses would be able to look across into the Promised Land, but would not be able to go into it. Because of Moses' meekness, he is taking this time to encourage the people and also to encourage Joshua who would lead the people across the Jordan River into the land of promise.  We have seen that it is time for the people to go forward and enjoy the blessings of the land.  Moses reminded them of the great victories, but in this fourth chapter, he also reminded them of the consequences when some of them followed the way of the world when enticed to bow to idols. He warns them not to follow that which is contrary to the Lord. I

Deuteronomy 3:18    "And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war." When the people of Israel were approaching the Jordan River to cross it, there were two and a half tribes who wanted to live on this side of the river where they were now encamped. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh saw the land was fertile and good for their cattle. The Lord gave them that land, but there was one stipulation: "ye shall pass over armed."  Their wives and children were allowed to remain in that land, but all the men who were capable of battle were commanded to go with their brethren across Jordan and help them fight their battles until the land was completely given over to Israel. If there was any doubt in their minds concerning the welfare of their wives and children, they simply could think back forty yea

Deuteronomy 3:4-5    "And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.  (5)  All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many." Deuteronomy 3:11    "For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man." God gave Moses great grace to be able to take this time to review the past 40 years with Joshua and the people of Israel. They were about to enter a land that flowed with milk and honey - a land that had been forbidden to Moses. As I began to read this morning concerning the victories that had been given to the people, I realized something of great importance. This was not just a review of past victories in wh

Deuteronomy 2:3-6    "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.  (4)  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:  (5)  Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.  (6)  Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink." The Lord had commanded the people to stop circling the mountain and begin the final phase of their journey into the Promised Land. We see the Lord warning the people to stay away from certain areas and certain people. One such group of people were the descendants of Esau. Though he did not receive the blessing that had been in store for him, Esau did receive a blessing wherein he and his descenda

Deuteronomy 2:1-3    "Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.  (2)  And the LORD spake unto me, saying,  (3)  Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward." For forty years, the people wandered in the wilderness. For forty years, they thought about their unbelief and disobedience unto the Lord. For forty years, they traveled, not getting any closer to the goal of the Promised Land. It took them forty years to travel what should have been an eleven day journey. Why?  Because they thought their own opinions were greater than the wisdom of God. God said, "I'm giving you the land."  The people said, "We cannot take the land. It is too great for us to overcome."  So, walk for forty years and think about that. And not only walk for forty years, but walk the same path over and over. See the same sights over and over.  Walk around t

  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us – Hebrews 12:1 Meditation:  We are not alone. This may sound either too simple or too cryptic, but it is true. All of God’s children have both companionship with God and one another. We are in communion in one Spirit. As the crucifixion grew close, Jesus Christ said to the closest disciples, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:14-15). This same Jesus through Whom God created the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-4) is friend to the disciples who trust and follow Him. If we have faith, then our faith can only be fulfilled in devotion. Call to Action:  It may be late in the

Deuteronomy 1:30-31    "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;  (31)  And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place." Years ago, a friend told me of an adventure with his father through the woods. His father saved his son from many scratches by holding back low hanging branches while the son walked through.  He guided him on the smoothest path he could find in order to keep the son from falling. When they came upon a log, the father would lift the son over it. Finally, when he became too tired to walk, the father placed his son on his back and carried him. There was a bond of loving care and trust between the father and the son. The Lord went before the children of Israel through the wilderness to take them on the path that was best for them. It was not always an

Deuteronomy 1:9-12    "And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:  (10)  The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.  (11)  (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)  (12)  How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?" Moses is recalling the experiences of the children of Israel from the time they left Egypt until this point.  He reminds them of the responsibility that has been carried by himself and the leaders of each tribe.  He is acknowledging his inability through that time to be able to bear the load by himself.  We are told concerning Moses in Numbers 12:3, "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth"  Meekness does not mean weakness. Moses was meek in that he was teachable and ready to accept help in t

Deuteronomy 1:6-8    "The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:  (7)  Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.  (8)  Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them." We begin a study of Deuteronomy today.  This is the final book of Moses and as you know he was taken up into a high mountain where he died before the people entered the promised land. This final book, written by him, contains a review of the law and "final instructions" from Moses to Joshua and the people. We start in the book by the people being reminded that it was to have been a