Deut. 18 [The Message]
These things were wrong then. They are wrong NOW.
God says get rid of these people who do or promote these evil things.
Deut. 16, 17 [The Message]
Israel was warned to only let God choose their kings.
Let’s see … don’t you think we can observe the platform of political candidates and spot those who are closer to God’s qualifications than others?
I say it again … the candidate’s position on protecting the life of the unborn is he big test for me. If they get that one right, I give them the benefit on the rest of their platform.
Deut. 13-15 [The Message]
You won’t find the word “stingy” in the King James Version. We find it in The Message, though. Verses 10 and 11 of chapter 15 encouraged the Hebrews to give liberally. If they did, God would likewise be generous with them.
At Christmas we give because God gave His Son, Christ Jesus, to take away the sin of the world. God became flesh and dwelt among us. We are His flesh to this world now. We can nullify sin by forgiving it when it’s confessed. We can show God’s love by giving to those in need.
Don’t be a Scrooge!
Deut. 11,12 [The Message]
Moses described the Promised Land as a garden that God watered and watched over. The same can be said about the Christian family.
“Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes, your household lush as a vineyard, The children around your table as fresh and promising as young olive shoots. Stand in awe of God’s Yes. Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!” [Ps 128:3 MSG]
The key is to follow God’s ways in your home. Scripture encourages a home that teaches God’s commandments with every opportunity. The blessing is worth the effort!
Deut. 9, 10 [The Message]
Moses conducted two 40 day fasts at critical times in the Hebrew pilgrimage to the Promised Land. At the conclusion of both fasts, God spoke to him profoundly. From his spiritual discipline we have the Ten Commandments.
I am not a great faster. I was much better when a young Christian. Patty and I would fast one day a week. Fasting can make your voice heard on high. It gets God’s attention. Don’t get me wrong … all prayer gets God’s attention. But it’s as if your prayers are on turbo boost.
Isaiah 58 is the Bible roadmap to effective fasting.
Deut. 8 [The Message]
Moses challenged the Israelites to be careful that they didn’t forget God when everything was going well for them. When we have a need, we buckle down and seek the Lord. We are to remain thankful for all the blessings He has provided. We have nice home, nice cars, too many nice clothes in our closets, and food galore.
Gratitude is the key. Praise and thanksgiving bring us into His presence.
Deut. 5-7 [The Message]
We had a Master Teacher at Trinity for many years. Her name was Celeste Zaubi. She understood the link between learning and doing. She would plan activities that cemented in the minds of her students the principle she was teaching. She also came up with creative ways to integrate competition among the students that made the learning activities more fun.
One day I observed her teaching the class about how an assembly line works. She had gathered the materials necessary for a project. Each student was instructed to put the materials together by themself to create the finished product. They were timed. Then, she arranged them in an assembly line formation and likewise instructed them to apply their specific part to the project. They were again timed. When they saw how quickly they completed the project in an assembly line, the light bulbs of enlightenment started appearing over their heads in a heartbeat.
Learn them, Live them. The teachings of Jesus.
Deut. 4 [The Message]
Moses could only peer into the Promised Land from the top of Mt. Pisgah because he disobeyed the Lord by striking the rock instead of speaking to it. He grieved over the consequence of his disobedience. It was a lesson for all of Israel. It was a lesson for US.
Obedience is learned in the home. Wise parents teach their children that disobedience has consequences. Lessons that have less costly pain can be efficiently learned when children are little. When they become adults, the pain is magnified and can devastate lives … and families.
If a child can’t obey their parents whom they see, how in the world can they obey a God they can’t see?
Deut. 2, 3 [The Message]
God instructed the Children of Israel to subdue the Promised Land. Although there were considerable obstacles and resistance, He instructed them to have NO FEAR. Fear itself is an obstacle. It prevents us from giving our best.
The biggest battles are often in our minds. David, the Psalmist, was a warrior. Before entering a skirmish, he would always spend time praising the Lord. Trust in God flushed out the fear. He said, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” [Ps. 56:3]
When I was a young music minister, I would put together large presentations at Christmas and Easter for our church to perform. My planning and preparation workload would often overwhelm me to the extent that I would wake up in the middle of the night with fearful sweats. Ps. 56:3 became my antidote for the crippling fear episodes at night. After putting my trust in the Lord and committing my ways to Him, I could lay back down and rest.
That’s a good verse to memorize!
Num. 36; Deuteronomy 1 [The Message]
God GAVE The Promised Land to the Israelites, but they had some work to do to actually possess it. The inhabitants of the land didn’t receive a legal notice from the Holy Spirit informing them of a change of ownership. No, they were NOT HAPPY. They gave resistance.
Life is that way. It provides resistance sometimes. We have some work to do before we can actually enjoy our inheritance.
When my father passed away, we found that he had left us kids an inheritance. He had money invested with a brokerage agency. Yes, that money now belonged to my siblings and me, but as executor I had to jump through some hoops to get it. The agency was rightfully cautious in the transfer of the funds. I had work to do.
James said “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead..” [James 2:17] I had faith that the funds were there, but I had some work to do to get them.
TCS Daily Devotional 