What Is God Saying To You?

Joshua 1:7-8---Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

The Law was to guide the new nation in the ways of God. Joshua, as their commander, was told to be careful to obey it all. If leaders do not follow after God, they lead the people astray. But if they follow hard after God through obedience to His word, many will be challenged to do the same. Joshua was encouraged to meditate on the words of the Law. He was supposed to talk about it all the time. Most of all, he was told to be careful to live it. We can talk about it and study it, but if that does not translate into living it then our words are misunderstood by the message we preach with our actions. If he would do these things, he was twice promised that he would be successful, and even prosperous. I don't think the principle has changed. If we will do the same thing, we will have the same results. Meditation upon the word is a holy habit that is not much employed today. Most mature Christians will spend time reading the word, speaking of the word, and applying it to their lives, but few meditate upon the passages they read. This often involves memorization. Take time to let the word you read speak to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to make it come alive and apply it to your daily situations. The quantity of Scripture read is not as important as seeing the application to your life. Look for God's eternal truth.

Meditate On The Attributes Of God

Deuteronomy 32:3-4---Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

The name of the LORD is the sum of His attributes. Notice that when Moses says He will proclaim the name of the LORD, he proclaims the character of God. Whenever we read of 'the name of the LORD' we should see this implied. He is great! His greatness should be praised. Because He is all-powerful, He never lacks the ability to carry out His decrees. The goodness He has planned will be brought to pass, for He has the power to make it happen. He is a rock. Theologians call this immutability. The world is ever changing. Our great hope is that we do change, but with God, there has never been and never will be a change. He is always the same perfect God He has been and will be. Because He is outside of time and the Creator of time, time never affects Him, the Ancient of Days. You can count on Him to always be the same loving God that keeps His promises. His works are perfect. A perfect God acts perfectly. He makes no mistakes. In spite of our limited perception of things, one day you will see all His actions are perfect. All His ways are just. He is a holy God. It is impossible for Him to be unjust. His justice is beyond question for He is truly the very standard of justice. He is faithful. He will keep His promises. He promised to complete the work He started in you. Because He has always been faithful and can never change, you will see He'll be faithful to transform you into His likeness.

Jesus Is Life

Deuteronomy 30:19-20---I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Blessings and life or curses and death, those are our choices. There is no middle ground. We must choose one or the other. Heaven and earth will bear witness to the choice we make. Our choice is visible to all created realms. It is a wonder that Almighty God gives us such a privilege. Considering the horrible consequences to others if we make the wrong choice. It is a wonder that we get to choose at all. But God is not after robots. He wants relational, volitional creatures. He is looking for those who will desire Him and His goodness of their own free will. In these verses, we find that the choice of life that we make effects our children, our love for God, our ability to hear His voice, and our endurance in the faith. It affects the length of our lives. When the choice is laid out so clearly, and the consequences made so plain, who would choose to be cursed and death? Sadly many still do. It is easy to believe the lie those other things can deliver these benefits to our lives when that choice lines up with our fleshly desire. The LORD is our life. We may think our life is wrapped up in things and family and friends, but all those are from the LORD. He is life itself. He breathed into us the breath of life.

Let God Do A Deeper Work In You

Deuteronomy 30:6--And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

In Deuteronomy 10:16 the Lord commanded us to circumcise our hearts. Here, He says that He will circumcise their hearts and that of their descendants. This expression comes after the Lord promised to return them from the lands to which they were driven. I believe we have yet to see this fulfilled. We have not seen an Israel sensitive to God, but one over whose faces a veil has been placed. But in our day we have seen another return to the Land. Are the time approaching in which the times of the Gentiles will be over and the time for the Jewish people to have their hearts circumcised by God to begin? As we wait and watch, we should allow God to do that work in our hearts. He will make us ever more sensitive to Him if we allow it. That is His desire. He will not do so against our wishes. He waits for our permission to do a deeper work in each of us. It is a deeply personal relationship that is willing to have a love that feels the joys and pains of another. Are you willing to share God's burdens? He shares yours. Are you willing to rejoice at the things that rejoice His heart? If you have His Spirit residing in you, then you already do. Still, you can be increasingly sensitive to His heart.

We Must Listen To Jesus

Deuteronomy 18:14-15---For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him, ye shall hearken;

The world seeks to know of the spiritual through the evil side. That way they are able to be 'spiritual' and yet indulge their evil nature. It is the same with New Age. There is no demand from a holy God to give up their immorality. There is no standard of a righteous God to which they must conform. God told the Israelites through Moses that we were not to be like them. Instead, they were to watch for the prophet that God was going to raise up. This prophet was going to show us truth of the spiritual realm without compromising with evil. This prophet would be like Moses. Moses was a deliverer. Moses was meek. Moses heard from God and brought God's word to the people. God raised up that prophet, Jesus, from the Jewish nation. We must listen to Him. He has the words of eternal life. But unlike the worldly spiritual ways of self-indulgence, He says we must take up our cross daily and follow Him. He tells us that if we try to save our life we will lose it. No wonder people flock to other ways, ways that lead to death. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the prophet that Moses said God would bring. We must listen to Him. His way is death to self that leads to life. The way of the sorcerer and diviner promises life, encourages indulgence in what it calls 'life', but leads to death.

Lord Keep Evil Influences Away

Deuteronomy 18:10-11---There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

All these actions are trying to find out the things of the spiritual world without going through God. The demonic realm loves to take the place of God. They are real and they are cunning. They will sometimes tell the truth, but for the purpose of deceiving you in the end. The goal is to tell you what you want to hear to lead you down a road of destruction. The ruinous path of evil is well documented. The people of God were to have nothing to do with these ways. Most religions of that ancient time have died out, but these demonic counterfeits continue just as they did millennia ago. They can still be found in almost every city in the world. Avoid them like the plague. Pray them out of your city. Warn your friends that dabble in them. The only source of truth about the spiritual realm that is healthy and whole is the Holy Spirit through God's word. It is good to do an inventory and see that none of these things have invaded your home. Warn your children when they are mature enough to understand. As the world comes closer to the end of days, we will see these more blatantly expressed and will be ridiculed for speaking against them. It is not the person we condemn but the power that uses them and the deception that is spoken. Be sure and read tomorrow's devotion that follows up on this line of thought.

Can I Know That I Am Saved

If You Apply It To Others, It Applies To You

Deuteronomy 17:18-20---And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

God did not intend for the people to choose a king, but He knew they would. That is why He gave them guidelines for this king to follow. The first was that the LORD pick the man, not the people. There were other guidelines for the king, but the one quoted above stands out. The king was to have a personal copy of the Law. In other words, he needs to have his own copy of the Bible. It is supposed to be with him, not just somewhere in the palace. It is supposed to be read every day by the king. The reason God asks for this to be done is spelled out for us. It is so the king will revere God. When we read of God's instruction, of His character, of His awesome works, we should respond with reverence for God. How was the king to lead His people in the ways of God if he did not read them himself? He was not to consider himself above the law, but subject to it like everyone else. In Christ, God has made us kings and priests to Himself according to Revelation 1:6. Since God calls us kings, we need to do the same as the kings of old. Keep a copy of the Word. Read it daily. Revere God and follow carefully the words written there. Don't think the word does not apply to you as well.

Laying Up Treasure In The Right Place

Deuteronomy 15:1, 7-8---At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.  If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

The Jewish faith was intensely practical. Anyone may fall on hard times and need assistance. This was to be a nation where they generously helped one another. The Kingdom of God is such a place. If you have extra, it is to share with those who have a need so that you both will be blessed. If he can't repay after a period of time, forgive the debt. Don't hold it against him. Is it more blessed to give than receive? It is, only if you can do it with a generous spirit thanking the Lord. The Law put them under compulsion to do this, and at many times in Israel's history, they disregarded the Law. The Spirit puts us under compulsion too but asks us to have a willing heart. All we need to do is yield to the Spirit and He will give us that kind of a generous heart that is the heart of our Lord. Is there a person in your fellowship with a need? Lend freely in an open-handed way. Our New Testament faith should be very practical also. The world should see a testimony of how we care for one another. If you've done it to your brother, you have done it to Christ.

Enduring Friction That You Might Be Changed

Deuteronomy 12:5, 8---But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Where has the Lord placed His name today? It is on you, Christian. There is a large portion of the body of Christ that does as they see fit. Instead of joining together with those upon whom God has placed His name, they worship alone. It is much easier to worship alone, to not join with a body of believers. People create problems. The thing we must realize is, I am one! I am part of the problem. Isolating myself will not help. The problems arise when we worship together because we are not yet perfect. Those problems are there so that I may learn and grow. They give me the opportunity to be gracious and demonstrate love and mercy. The problems demonstrate my weaknesses and need for continued growth and fellowship. It is much more comfortable to not be shown my weaknesses through conflict with my brothers and sisters. It is easier to not have to demonstrate mercy and grace. Remember, though, that Jesus said the world would know we are Christians by our love. This love shows the life of Christ when it forgives and is gracious in the face of offenses, not when everyone just gets along. So it is your choice, Christian. You can do as the LORD has directed us in not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together or go the easy route. The easy route is doing as you see fit. The friction in the body is the grinding of the living stones so that they fit into place in the Temple of God.

He Was Wounded For Our Transgressions

Matthew 27:28-30---And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Once the Roman governor, Pilate, pronounced the sentence, the soldiers had their fun with Jesus. I'm sure they would rather have worked over Barabbas, the zealot, but this Jewish teacher would have to do. The charge was that He claimed to be king, so they put a robe of regal red on him and made Him a crown out of thorns. The plant they most likely used is called "Crown of Thorns" today. Its spikes are two to three inches in length. As the first couple was being expelled from the Garden of Eden, God told Adam that thorns would come up from the ground, making his efforts to till the soil difficult. In our passage today, the second Adam is taking the curse of the thorns on His head. He is taking the curse of sin upon Himself that we might be free of it. Jesus had already been beaten and spit upon by the religious leaders. Now it was the secular government's turn. After the scourging, He would have had no strength to resist. They put a stick in His hand pretending it to be a staff of authority and bowed in mockery. Then they would wrench the stick from Him and beat Him over the head again and again. This is the Lord of glory that formed them and gave them life. He knows their lineage back to Adam. He knows the number of hairs on their head. He is about to pay for their sins with His own death that they might have a chance to live. When the soldiers had grown tired of their game of mockery, they placed a beam on His torn shoulders and tied His arms to it. A rope was probably placed about His waist, with a soldier at the other end, leading Him to the place of execution. We wonder how a man can be so cold, so heartless. Jesus would soon say they did not know what they were doing. If Jesus can overlook such abuse, knowing that man is ignorant, how much more should we overlook words and actions that offend us? He did nothing to deserve the abuse. But oh how many times we have. He has been so gracious to forgive our ignorance. Let us forgive others for theirs.

How Far Are You From God

Deuteronomy 11:18-19---Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

The Jews took this quite literally. Even today at the Western Wall you can see them fix the Scripture Boxes (phylacteries) to their foreheads and wrap their arms. Almost every home has a Scripture container on the doorframe. There was a time in the USA when people included portions of Scripture in their daily conversation. The Bible was read daily by many, and many of our old expressions come from Scripture. That trend has all but died out. We rarely speak in the expressions of the Bible and are even mocked when we quote Scripture. That shouldn't bother us though. The word of God is powerful and living and will accomplish God's purposes. If we speak the Scripture that God lays on our heart during a conversation, it will surely do its work. For the Holy Spirit to bring it to memory, we should be reading it daily. We should be taking unhurried time to dwell on a passage. We should be memorizing it. Then it can be brought to our minds to be effective for us and for those with whom we communicate. We have a duty to model this for our children and teach them to do the same. The passage here is a good pointer for morning and evening devotions. The word should start and end our day. It should also be a topic during the day.

Difficulty Can Be An Expression Of Grace

Deuteronomy 11:13-14---And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

Many of the promises of God are conditional. There is an "if you..." and a "then I will..." In this passage, God tells the Children of Israel that their economy is dependent on their obedience. God did give them certain laws that would make their agrarian lifestyle more productive. He also brought them to a land that was dependent on seasonal rains. Farmers throughout the ages have had to depend on the Weather Maker. It was an incentive to obey God. When they turned from God and had a drought, they tried other gods that claimed to bring rain, like Baal. At the moment of writing this, the place I am living is experiencing extreme drought. The government of the area recently repealed what they called 'antiquated laws', laws that had to do with sexual morality. "Those came from the Bible and we don't all believe in the Bible anymore," they say. But that is not true. All western law is Biblically based. Society has just chosen to pick and choose the laws they will enforce. That does not change the promises of God. In this drought with devastating forest fires, I have not heard one person say there is a need for us to repent. I hear, "Pray for rain." That is general enough so as to offend no one. We have forgotten that God is the Weather Maker and that many of His promises are conditional.

God Set His Heart On Me

Deuteronomy 10:15-16---Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

I love this expression, "set his affection". Not only has God set His affection on our forefathers in the faith, but He has set His affection on us. It was not anything good that we did. He sovereignly chose to set His affection on you! He loved you and chose you. So what should be your response? Circumcise your hearts. Abraham had been given the ritual of circumcision confirming the covenant between God and himself. It was a physical illustration of an inner transformation that was to take place. This transformation is an act God is requesting us to do. "Make your heart tender toward me," God asks us. "Don't act like you don't hear when I call." If we allow our hearts to be tender toward God, one word from Him and we will be at His feet waiting to hear what He has to speak to us. "Samuel, Samuel," God called out. Little Samuel had a circumcised heart. He heard. He responded. When God calls your name do you respond? Do you even hear Him call? Once we have received His affection set upon us, realized His love and calling to us, we must respond by making our heart tender toward Him. We must respond by yielding our ear, by being quick to hear and respond. We can no longer go the way of our own choosing.

Teach Me O Lord To Obey

Deuteronomy 10:12-13---And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

God only asks us that which is for our good. In this passage, He asks us five things for our good. The first is to fear the LORD our God. The fear of the LORD causes us to distance ourselves from evil. To fear God means to know He is just and will punish all rebellion against His goodness. Then He asks us to walk in His ways. What are the ways of God? His attributes define the ways of God: justice, mercy, truth, righteousness, grace, love, holiness, and goodness. When we walk in His ways, we are in His likeness. Walking in His ways has lasting results. It is the best for us and for those whom we come in contact. Next is to love Him. We love Him because He first loved us. When that is done, all is done. To love Him means the other instructions are carried out as well. God wants a loving relationship with you, not just obedience to rituals. Fourth is to serve the LORD our God with all our heart and soul. If we love Him we will want to express that love. Love that is not expressed in service is insincere. Does your wholehearted service express your love relationship with God? Last is to observe His commands. It's not because God is a dictator, but because His commands are instructions of love that show you the best way to go. The two great commands are to love God with our all, and our neighbor as our self.