Tuesday, March 2, 2010
March 2 ... Deuteronomy 8 - 10 "Follow the Road"
Deuteronomy 10:13 - "Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today—live a good life." I'm seeing more and more in my thoughts and actions how I long to walk on the road that I think is a good one. One lane filled with successful ministry. A diverging path filled with faithful friends. A highway of children obedient to the truth. A road full of success. I don't want to not be noticed. What am I dealing with? Ambition? Do I want to be noticed more by my God than by my world? Because one Truth that is all over today's reading is that God is crossing the River before we do to take care of us and invite us to follow. But, the Truth is, it is not because of how good we are (Deut 9:6).
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God said to me, "Get going, and quickly.
ReplyDeleteI hear a sense of urgency in today's readings.
May we, sisters, cut away the thick calluses from our hearts and be soft and tender towards everyone we meet today.
With Love,
Angie xoxo
Good reminder, Angie, especially as I listen to two very fussy children!
ReplyDeleteDeuteronomy 8 - "Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times."
While I can't claim a wilderness of 40 years, I feel like God has led me through hard times in the past year. I do feel pushed to my limits relationally, and squeezed. It's been enlightening to see what's come out of me and to see whether I choose to obey God or not.
I'm still trying to work through the challenges, but I am grateful for the perspective that it was God who led me here. This is not a mistake. And in the midst of these challenges, I see glimmers of hope - not in what others are doing, but in what God is doing in me.
Reading the Message along with you all has definitely been a highlight. God has used His Word and your words to encourage me and spur me on.
If you are reading the Lenten Reflections, today was #12 and I especially thought of you Cici in how you are doing so much good in the life of your family and your world. Leaving behind a beautiful trail of His Goodness and Grace. Whether it's changing multiple diapers or sharing His Word with us, you are doing what HE made you to do and that's to love well! May all of our love abound even more for HE is showing us what is in our hearts and there's hope and we're plunged into that "sea of joy." Love you!
ReplyDeleteI love you all! It's so good to read your thoughts and to read this love letter from our Good God.
ReplyDeleteDeut. 10:22
"When your ancestors entered Egypt, they numbered a mere seventy souls. And now look at you—you look more like the stars in the night skies in number. And your God did it."
It's bittersweet reading these chapters. Moses is recounting all the miracles of God, all the ways God has saved His people, and all the ways those people have failed God.
But then he looks out over them with a tender heart and sees the enormous sea of faces, so many descendants are staring him in the face. And he just is overwhelmed at how they've come this far.
Only because God did it.
What a humble man Moses has been throughout all of this great shepherding of these people. But even more important to me is how faithful Moses has been to His God.
I pray that we all would remember God and never forsake His teaching. And that our obedience to God's leading would be because of our great love for Him and not because we are afraid of Him. Or because we want to be puffed up about our own righteousness.
Meekness.
I've heard it described as being like a wild horse tamed to a bit. Without the bit in the mouth, the wild horse is uncontrolled. Not much use to anyone.
But you take that same wild horse and tame him to the bit, and he becomes a useful asset for his master.
Not stiff-necked.
Meek and obedient.
God is working in all of us. I thank God for the lessons these people are teaching me in every chapter. Human failures...God's victories. We may fail...but God never does.