Tuesday, March 2, 2010
March 3 ... Deuteronomy 11 - 13 "Words Deep Inside of You"
Deuteronomy 11:18 - "Get the words deep inside of you." Deut 13:4 - "God is testing you. Hold on to Him for dear life." I thought all yesterday about Deut 8 - God led you on this road for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you and showing us what's in our heart whether we will obey Him or not---my sin has so surprised me today. Wonder if Moses continually dealt with sin over not entering the Promised Land. He seems to have dealt with his disappointment in such a beautiful way! Moses knows this is his last sermon forever. He's been with these people for 40 years. God tells him they won't make it after he dies. How does this pastor deal with their unresponsive hearts? He is looking into their faces. No one has ever seen their own face. Listen when others speak who read your face every day. 66 Love Letters: "I brought you out of something bad to bring you into something good before you experience that something good. Then, your love is sustained by confidence in My Character, not by enjoyment of current blessings." He brought us out to bring us in - Deut 6:23. Moses last words send a message that even in his own disappointment, Moses never stopped looking to God Who did things differently than Moses wanted. Moses sang His Praises even while disappointed: "Through It All, I've Learned to Trust in Jesus." What am I doing with my disappointments in life?
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"Yes, it was you—your eyes—that saw every great thing that God did."
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of my closest friends and family know where God has brought me, it was me, personally who saw with my own eyes what He did. I hope I never forget!
If you feel led, please pray for my nephew, Trevor today. I don't want to get into the details, but trust me, this 17 year old needs God to do something only He can do. Thank you!
Love,
Angie xoxo
Israel had unique ways that set them apart and identified them as belonging to God and having a relationship with Him. What sets me apart? Does my relationship with God show in all I do and say? Are His words deep inside my heart?
ReplyDeleteA question I've asked myself more than once...what sets me apart? do people see Jesus when they see me, hear my voice, see my life, my choices or do they see more of just old me. I know what I want the answer to be and I believe He is working on me to get the answer out there....Jesus lives in her and is her driving force, her sustaining force. I know in my heart how He has changed me, how I want to be a living testament to Him and I am so afraid that I am not, but He is dealing with that too, praise His name. How you all bless me. Iron truly sharpens iron.
ReplyDeleteMary Lou, not to worry on that one--you wear Christ so beautifully!
ReplyDeleteAngie, praying right now for God's intervention for Trevor and Jen.
Nise'-what good things to dwell on--your relationship with Christ comes through in your writing with such sincerity and love.
“I've brought you today to the crossroads of Blessing and Curse.” I feel like I'm standing at a crossroad right now in my life in several areas. One thing for certain, one will be a CROSS road and the other will not.
My precious friend Merry Nell went to be with the LORD at 4:44 am today. She died peacefully in her sleep. Her life verse was Deut 33:27 Underneath her are the Everlasting Arms! Literally! He's holding her healed and complete! This is the day she lived her whole life for...
ReplyDeleteMerry Nell -
She lived well
She loved well
She suffered well
Have you noticed how often the word "remember" shows up in Deuteronomy?
ReplyDeleteLately, I've been forgetting what I need to remember and remembering what I need to forget.
I spent all day yesterday remembering something that had been resolved. What was in my heart wasn't pretty. I want to justify my actions. I play the tapes over and over...and is it surprising that I can come out looking better when I do that?
So much for that test.
Both the NKJV and the Message are speaking to me but today I was stopped in my NKJV in ch. 12..."seek the place where the LORD your God chooses." I noticed it in verses 5,11,14,18,21 and 26. I'm questioning a place where I'm serving right now. Is it really where God wants me? Another test?
Angie, I prayed for Trevor this morning.
Annette, I thought of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken",
when I read your comment. I've always loved that poem and thought about how the believer takes the road less traveled and "that has made all the difference". Praying for you.
Bev, thank you for doing this. You have so much going on in your life. Our God will not "forget your labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister."
I know you will miss your friend,even though you rejoice that her suffering is over.
FG
"So it's you who are in charge of keeping the entire commandment that I command you today so that you'll have the strength to invade and possess the land that you are crossing the river to make your own." Deut. 11:8-9
ReplyDeleteShalom.
I feel the Grace of God here in this connection with all of you. Each of us are limping through life, battle-scarred, wounded by the arrows of the enemy sent straight to our hearts, and victimized by those who seek to break down our passion for GOD, our God.
When I read your deep and thought-provoking challenge to us each day, Bev, I can feel my faith being stretched. I need that. I want to ponder like Mary, the mother of Jesus, keeping all my ponderings in my heart. Today's reading was overwhelming to me. Especially towards the end.
How hard it is for us "little Christs" to live a life separate from the world. Our feet get so dirty from walking through this life.
How diligently we must protect ourselves from the sin that seeks our defeat. How the enemy must hate Jesus. We are the greatest weapon the enemy chooses to bring heartache to our Saviour's heart.
And here's the challenge to the Israelites...
and to me...
"So it's you who are in charge of keeping the entire commandment that I command you today so that you'll have the strength to invade and possess the land that you are crossing the river to make your own." Deut. 11:8-9
Yes, I am in charge of what I see, hear and do. No one else is in charge of that in my life. I am in charge of keeping the entire commandment. Not just what I pick and choose. ALL OF IT.
God is calling us, just like He called the Israelites. He's calling us to invade and possess our land. Think about how you respond to things. I'm thinking about my response. I'm even trying to think if I have anything in my home right now that is mentioned by God as unholy. The carved images? The phallic pillars? The sex and religion things? What symbols are there in our lives that God would find offensive?
Don't let them whisper to us to turn away from God. Whose voice are we listening to? What imprints on our mind? What's written on our hearts?
We are in charge of keeping His commandments. Maturity comes when we can say to our own face in the mirror...I am in charge of the path I will take. The road of Blessings...or the road of Cursings.
Give us strength and discernment, GOD, to see with Your eyes and to hear with Your ears what the Spirit is speaking to us.
I will be remembering each of us and our prayer needs in my prayers. We have a shelter in our storms. Praying His shelter over all our needs.
ReplyDeleteMary Lou, I tried to send you an e-mail twice today but got them both back. It's 3/3 and I thought of Psalm 3:3 and YOU and how often you tell me that verse right back! You have touched deep places in my heart and I love you much! Bev
ReplyDelete