Tag Archives: Deuteronomy

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Keeps His Promises

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“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps His promises and constantly loves those who love Him and who obey His commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Torn between the desire to surrender his life to the Lord and the desire to be his own person, Tom gave vent to his frustration.

“I want to be a good Christian,” he said, “but I’m afraid of God and what He might do to change my plans. You see, I have great plans for my life and I don’t want to end up wasting it.

“For example, I don’t want to marry someone with whom I would be miserable or risk my opportunities for a successful business career.”

I asked Tom, as I have often asked others, “Do you really believe that God loves you?”

“Yes,” he replied – and that is the general response. Then I reminded him that Jesus Christ so loved him that He was willing to die on the cross for his sins.

“Do you believe that He died for you?”

“Yes,” Tom agreed, and that also is the general reply.

Then, my final question, “Don’t you think that you can trust the omnipotent Creator God, who so loved you that He sent His only begotten Son, who Himself loved you so much that He was willing to die on the cross for your sins, that you may have a full and abundant life here on earth and for all eternity?”

Tom’s response was, “I’d never thought of it that way before. Of course I can trust Him, and I will.”

Together we knelt in prayer, and God touched his life in such a dramatic way that he has since been used to introduce many thousands to our Savior.

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 10-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will surrender my will to do the will of God in all things, because I know that He is a God of love, wisdom, compassion and concern who wants the very best for me. I will share this good news with other Christians who are reluctant to surrender their wills to Him and with nonbelievers who have not yet entered into the joy and excitement of the supernatural life.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Deceptive Currents

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Read: Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 32-33; John 18:19-40

When they had pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted. —Hosea 13:6

In his book The Hidden Brain, science writer Shankar Vedantam describes the day he went for a leisurely swim. The water was calm and clear, and he felt strong and proud for covering a long distance so easily. He decided to swim out of the bay and into open water. But when he tried to return he couldn’t make any progress. He had been deceived by the current. The ease of swimming had not been due to his strength but to the movement of the water.

In our relationship with God something similar can happen. “Going with the flow” can lead us to believe we’re stronger than we are. When life is easy, our minds tell us that it’s due to our own strength. We become proud and self-confident. But when trouble hits, we realize how little strength we have and how helpless we are.

This happened with the Israelites. God would bless them with military success, peace, and prosperity. But thinking they had achieved it on their own, they would then become proud and self-sufficient (Deut. 8:11-12). Assuming that they no longer needed God, they would go their own way until an enemy attacked and they would realize how powerless they were without God’s help.

When life is going well we too need to beware of self-deception. Pride will take us where we do not want to go. Only humility will keep us where we ought to be—grateful to God and dependent on His strength. —Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, we don’t dare trust in our own strength to do our tasks today. You are the Giver of our talents and opportunities. Help us use them not for our own advancement, but to help others.

True humility credits God for every success.

INSIGHT: The book of Deuteronomy, the final book of the Pentateuch, covers a period of only 40 days. The children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and now stood at the threshold of the Promised Land. This important book reviews their covenant with God.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God Loves Humility

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God loves humility. Could that be why he offers so many tips on cultivating it?

Assess yourself honestly. Romans 12:3 says, “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities.”

Don’t take success too seriously. Deuteronomy 8:13 warns, “When your silver and gold increase your heart will become proud.” Ponder your success and count your money in a cemetery, and remember neither of the two is buried with you.

Celebrate the significance of others. Philippians 2:3 says, “In humility consider others better than yourselves.”

Speak humbly. 1st Samuel 2:3 warns, “Let no arrogance come from your mouth.” Don’t be cocky. People aren’t impressed with your opinions. In Galatians 6:14, Paul said, “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging!” So if you need to brag—brag about that!

From Traveling Light

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Refuse to Lose

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Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. – Deuteronomy 1:21 KJV

All of us become disappointed when we have plans that fail, hopes that don’t materialize, and goals that are not reached. When this continues for a while, we become discouraged, a condition that can lead to depression if not handled properly.

When you get discouraged, you must make a decision to adapt and adjust, to take a new approach, to just keep going despite your feelings. That’s when you must remember the Greater One resides within you and decide you won’t let discouragement keep you from realizing your dreams and goals.

When you feel discouraged it is sometimes difficult to be positive. That’s when you must rise above the discouragement through He who lives in you. He is always available to help you find renewed direction and hope.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – A Matter Of Love

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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. —Deuteronomy 6:5

 

Read: Mark 12:28-34
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 15-16; Matthew 27:1-26

“Where intellect and emotion clash, the heart often has the greater wisdom” wrote the authors of A General Theory of Love. In the past, they say, people believed that the mind should rule the heart, but science has now discovered the opposite to be true. “Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on whom we love.”

Those familiar with Scripture recognize this as an ancient truth, not a new discovery. The most important commandment God gave to His people gives the heart the prominent place. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). Not until the gospels of Mark and Luke do we learn that Jesus added the word mind (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). So, what scientists are just now discovering, the Bible taught all along.

Those of us who follow Christ also know the importance of whom we love. When we obey the greatest commandment and make God the object of our love, we can be assured of having a purpose that transcends anything we could imagine or our strength could achieve. When our desire for God dominates our hearts, our minds will stay focused on ways to serve Him, and our actions will further His kingdom on earth and in heaven.—Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, we long to make You the supreme desire of our heart. As You taught Your disciples to pray, so too we ask You to teach us how to love. Guide us today.

Count as lost each day you have not used in loving God. —Brother Lawrence

INSIGHT: According to rabbinic tradition, there are 613 commandments in the Torah (the Pentateuch) which every pious Jew must keep. When asked which of these commandments is the most important, Jesus (quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18) said to “love the Lord your God” and “love your neighbor” (Mark 12:30-31). All the commandments are summarized in the duty to love (Matt. 22:40). This priority of love is echoed by John, the apostle of love, in 1 John 4:7-21.
Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Power to Become Rich

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“Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich, and He does it to fulfill His promise to your ancestors” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

A Christian woman whom I knew, worth many millions of dollars, panicked when the stock market dropped and she lost almost one million dollars. Even though she had tens of millions in reserve, she was filled with apprehension and fear that she would die a pauper. She had never discovered the adventure and freedom of “giving and receiving” in a trust relationship with God.

Conversely, a businessman called me long distance a short time later to tell me how excited he was over the way God was blessing his new business venture. He had decided to give all the profits – potentially millions – toward helping to reach the world for Christ.

“I am sending $50,000 for Here’s Life in Asia,” he said. “And there will be much more later. I don’t want to invest in buildings. I want to invest this money where it will be used immediately to win and disciple people for Christ.”

The principle is the same, whether you have $100 or $1 million. Ask God to tell you what to do toward helping to fulfill the Great Commission. Second, look for a worthy, proven project that you can support monthly, if only modestly, in addition to your commitment to your local church.

As your faith in God’s love and trustworthiness grows, prayerfully make a faith promise pledge that is greater than you are capable of fulfilling with your present income.

Bible Reading: Malachi 3:7-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will ask God today to help me trust Him to give – by faith – more than I can possibly afford to give toward his work, with the certainty that He will supply all my needs and enable me to meet my faith promise pledge supernaturally.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Pointing To God

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Remember now your Creator . . . before the difficult days come. —1 Ecclesiastes 12:1

 

Read: Deuteronomy 8: 11-18
Bible in a Year: Exodus 1-3; Matthew 14:1-21

“God bless our homeland, Ghana” is the first line of Ghana’s national anthem. Other African anthems include: “O Uganda, may God uphold thee,” “Lord, bless our nation” (South Africa), and “O God of creation, direct our noble cause” (Nigeria). Using the anthems as prayers, founding fathers called on God to bless their land and its people. Many national anthems in Africa and others from around the world point to God as Creator and Provider. Other lines of anthems call for reconciliation, transformation, and hope for a people often divided along ethnic, political, and social lines.

Yet today, many national leaders and citizens tend to forget God and do not live by these statements—especially when life is going well. But why wait until war, disease, storms, terrorist attacks, or election violence occurs before we remember to seek God? Moses warned the ancient Israelites not to forget God and not to stop following His ways when life was good (Deut. 8:11). Ecclesiastes 12:1 urges us to “remember now your Creator … before the difficult days come.”

Getting close to God while we are strong and healthy prepares us to lean on Him for support and hope when those “difficult days” in life come.—Lawrence Darmani

Father, I always need You. Forgive me for
thinking I am sufficient in myself. Help me to
follow You and Your ways whether life is easy
or difficult. Thank You for caring for me.

Remembering our Creator can be our personal anthem.

INSIGHT: Deuteronomy records a significant moment in Old Testament history. At the end of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moses reaffirmed the laws of God. A generation had died in the wilderness and the new generation needed these lessons to prepare them for entry into the land of promise. The challenges that awaited them in Canaan made it important to remind the people of both God’s provisions and God’s instructions.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Our Life Is A Primer

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Deuteronomy 6:4-9

You shall teach them diligently to your children . . . when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. —Deuteronomy 6:7

The New England Primer was published in the late 1600s. Throughout the colonies that would later become the United States, the book became a widely used resource.

This early American textbook was based largely on the Bible, and it used pictures and rhymes based on Scripture to help children learn to read. It also included prayers like this one: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

In Colonial America, this became a way that one generation was able to pass along their faith to the next generation. It fit well with what God wanted of His people, the ancient Israelites, as recorded in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach [God’s commandments] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them . . . when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

As we talk about who God is, what He has done for us, and how He desires our love and obedience, our lives can become primers to the next generation. We can be teaching tools that God will use to help people in their walk with Him. —Dennis Fisher

Lord, we love You. We want to learn to love

You with all our heart, soul, and strength.

Use our lives and our words to point others to You,

who first loved us.

When we teach others, we’re not just spending time, we’re investing it.

Bible in a year: Daniel 11-12; Jude

Insight

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, known as the Shema (from the Hebrew for “hear,” v.4), is the basic Jewish confession of faith. Every devout Jew was to recite the Shema twice daily as a reminder of the first and second commandments (Ex. 20:2-5). After giving the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:6-22), Moses gave God’s people the one heart principle that undergirds the entire law: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (6:5). God demands exclusive, wholehearted, and undivided allegiance and devotion. Jesus said that this is “the first and greatest commandment” (Matt. 22:36-38).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Waving The White Flag

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Our Daily BreadDeuteronomy 6:1-9

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God. —Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Recently, while watching a video of a church service held in South America, I noticed something I had never seen before in church. As the pastor passionately called his flock to yield their lives to Jesus, one of the parishioners took a white hankie out of his pocket and started waving it in the air. Then another, and another. With tears running down their cheeks, they were expressing full surrender to Christ.

But I wonder if there was more to the moment than the flags of surrender. I think they were waving flags of love to God. When God told His people to “love the LORD your God” (Deut. 6:5), it was in the context of His urging them to surrender their lives to Him.

From God’s point of view, life with Him is far more than just trying to be good. It is always about relationship—relationship in which surrender is the way we express our grateful love to Him. Jesus, in amazing love for us, surrendered Himself on the cross to rescue us from our helpless bondage to sin and set us on a journey to all that is good and glorious.

We don’t have enough words to tell God how much we love Him! So, let’s show Him our love by surrendering our hearts and lives to follow Him. —Joe Stowell

Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;

Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.

Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;

I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. —Orr

Surrender is God’s love language.

Bible in a year: Psalms 33-34; Acts 24

Insight

Deuteronomy 6:4 contains the Shema (or Shema Yisrael). This affirmation of the oneness of God (“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”) is the centerpiece of the morning and evening prayers of observant Jews. The title Shema comes from the Hebrew term for the first word in the verse, hear.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Keeps His Promises

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“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps His promises and constantly loves those who love Him and who obey His commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Torn between the desire to surrender his life to the Lord and the desire to be his own person, Tom gave vent to his frustration.

“I want to be a good Christian,” he said, “but I’m afraid of God and what He might do to change my plans. You see, I have great plans for my life and I don’t want to end up wasting it.

“For example, I don’t want to marry someone with whom I would be miserable or risk my opportunities for a successful business career.”

I asked Tom, as I have often asked others, “Do you really believe that God loves you?”

“Yes,” he replied – and that is the general response. Then I reminded him that Jesus Christ so loved him that He was willing to die on the cross for his sins.

“Do you believe that He died for you?”

“Yes,” Tom agreed, and that also is the general reply.

Then, my final question, “Don’t you think that you can trust the omnipotent Creator God, who so loved you that He sent His only begotten Son, who Himself loved you so much that He was willing to die on the cross for your sins, that you may have a full and abundant life here on earth and for all eternity?”

Tom’s response was, “I’d never thought of it that way before. Of course I can trust Him, and I will.”

Together we knelt in prayer, and God touched his life in such a dramatic way that he has since been used to introduce many thousands to our Savior.

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 10-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will surrender my will to do the will of God in all things, because I know that He is a God of love, wisdom, compassion and concern who wants the very best for me. I will share this good news with other Christians who are reluctant to surrender their wills to Him and with nonbelievers who have not yet entered into the joy and excitement of the supernatural life.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Reframing The Picture

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Our Daily Bread

Deuteronomy 32:7-12

As an eagle stirs up its nest, . . . spreading out its wings, . . . so the LORD alone led [Jacob]. —Deuteronomy 32:11-12

For 3 months I had a ringside seat— or should I say a bird’s-eye view—of God’s amazing handiwork. Ninety feet above the floor of Norfolk Botanical Garden, workers installed a webcam focused on the nest of a family of bald eagles, and online viewers were allowed to watch.

When the eggs hatched, Mama and Papa Eagle were attentive to their offspring, taking turns hunting for food and guarding the nest. But one day when the eaglets still looked like fuzzballs with beaks, both parents disappeared. I worried that harm had come to them.

My concern was unfounded. The webcam operator enlarged the camera angle, and there was Mama Eagle perched on a nearby branch.

As I pondered this “reframed” picture, I thought of times when I have feared that God had abandoned me. The view in the forest heights of Virginia reminded me that my vision is limited. I see only a small part of the entire scene.

Moses used eagle imagery to describe God. As eagles carry their young, God carries His people (Deut. 32:11-12). Despite how it may seem, the Lord “is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). This is true even when we feel abandoned. —Julie Ackerman Link

Under His wings I am safely abiding;

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,

Still I can trust Him—I know He will keep me;

He has redeemed me and I am His child. —Cushing

Because the Lord is watching over us, we don’t have to fear the dangers around us.

Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15

Insight

Today’s reading provides us with a wonderful template for instructing the next generation in the provision of God. The entire “Song of Moses” extends from Deuteronomy 31:30–32:43. In it we see praise given for the God of Israel in spite of the nation’s periodic lapse into disobedience. In His good providence, God created for Himself a chosen people whom He has both redeemed and preserves. This theme of divine love that will not let go is to be reiterated to each new generation so that God’s covenant people may continue in relationship with their Creator and Sustainer. We learn from the New Testament that through Christ’s atoning work on the cross, this covenant has been extended to all who believe (Rom. 5:6-11).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Loved To Love

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Our Daily Bread

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. —Deuteronomy 10:19

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life was at risk every day he stayed in Hitler’s Germany, but he stayed nonetheless. I imagine he shared the apostle Paul’s view that being in heaven was his heart’s desire, but staying where he was needed was God’s present purpose (Phil. 1:21). So stay he did; as a pastor he offered clandestine worship services and resisted the evil regime under Hitler.

Despite the daily danger, Bonhoeffer penned Life Together—a book on hospitality as ministry. He put this principle to the test when he lived and worked in a monastic community and when he was imprisoned. Every meal, every task, and every conversation, Bonhoeffer taught, was an opportunity to show Christ to others, even under great stress or strain.

We read in Deuteronomy that just as God ministered to the Israelites who were leaving Egypt, He instructed them to imitate Him by loving and hosting strangers and widows (10:18-19; Ex. 22:21-22). We too are loved by God and empowered by His Spirit to serve Him by serving others in countless ways each day through kind words and actions.

Who on our daily journey seems lonely or lost? We can trust the Lord to enable us to bring them hope and compassion as we live and labor together for Him. —Randy Kilgore

That I may serve Him with a full surrender,

My life a crucible, His eye the test,

Each hour a gift from Him, the gracious Sender,

Each day a pledge to give to Christ my best. —Anon.

The more we understand God’s love for us the more love we’ll show to others.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 13-14; Luke 10:1-24

Insight

It is interesting to note that when our Lord faced His temptations in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), all of the verses He quoted are from Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16,13).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Transforming Power

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Our Daily Bread

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. —Deuteronomy 6:6

Many people love to play games that test their knowledge. Recently, a colleague and I were testing a Bible-knowledge game. Since we were seated in an open area of our office, those nearby could hear our conversation. Soon questions ranging from Noah’s ark to the woman at the well were being answered by those within earshot of us. It was a delight to hear various staff members volunteering responses to Bible questions.

A knowledge of the Bible is important, but God desires us to be saturated with His Word and to internalize it so we can grow in our relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to make us more like Christ (Eph. 4:20-24). Consider these benefits of internalizing the Bible: joy and rejoicing (Jer. 15:16); spiritual success (Josh. 1:8); a tool in spiritual warfare (Matt. 4:1-11); correction (2 Tim. 3:15-16); light for our path (Ps. 119:105); wisdom with problem solving (Prov. 1:1-2); and stimulating faith (Rom. 10:17).

Learning about the Bible just to increase our knowledge can lead to spiritual pride (1 Cor. 8:1). But allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us by the Word helps us navigate through life’s twists and turns and respond in love to God and to each other. —Dennis Fisher

My hunger for the truth He satisfies;

Upon the Word, the Living Bread, I feed:

No parching thirst I know, because His grace,

A pool of endless depth, supplies my need. —Sanders

Many books can inform, but only the Bible can transform.

Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 5-7; Mark 11:1-18

Insight

There is no record in the Bible of God speaking to anyone in any form—including dreams, oracles, or visions—from the time of Joseph to the time of Moses. When the people of Israel were led out into the wilderness, it is likely that they had little knowledge of the God who had delivered them and was leading them to a new home. The commands given through Moses were meant to reintroduce God to them and to help them to be people who would be a light to others (cf. Isa. 49:3). By keeping God’s words always in front of them (Deut. 6:6-9), they could live by those words and be transformed into people who showed God to the world.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – For Your Good

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Pastor Charles Stanley says “most people do not simply wake up one day and decide to abandon God. Deception usually plays a large role.” Warning: “Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” (Deuteronomy 11:16) Understand that deception comes in various forms…the comfort of wealth or power; the accolades received for a specific talent; or a compulsion for video games, food, sports, Facebook, or something else. Just fill in the blank.

Loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him.

Deuteronomy 11:22

There is a remedy: cling to God. Be faithful to Him, rejecting all form of idols in your life. Keep His Word in your heart. The Lord requires the same of you as He did for Israel: fear Him, walk in all his ways, love Him, serve Him with all your heart and soul, and keep His commandments. Remember, it is for your good. (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

Satan would have you believe that rules are bad, but living under God’s guidelines makes life easier. Pray that you hold fast to His ways. Then intercede for this nation’s leaders – that they may not be deceived, but will discover God’s love for them.

Recommended Reading: Hosea 14:1-9

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Keep from Crashing

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Rules. All nations have them. They can differ from place to place, time to time. Some are fair, others are outright criminal. But civilization needs them. Can you imagine trying to drive in a city without traffic laws? Likewise, obeying God’s rules for living will keep you from the crashes in life.

Because you listen to these rules…the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant.

Deuteronomy 7:12

Take, for example, the Ten Commandments. They enable you to take life’s journey in confidence and with peace of mind. Love God; don’t love idols; honor His name; keep the Sabbath; obey your parents; don’t murder; be faithful to your spouse; don’t steal, don’t lie, and be content with what you have. Wouldn’t the nation be transformed if everyone dedicated their lives to following these rules?

Jesus boiled the Ten Commandments down to only two. Love God and love others (Mark 12:29-31). Begin by listing practical things you can do this year to obey these two basic commands. Perhaps you could start a “pay it forward project” by doing random acts of kindness. Then pray for this nation that there will be a revival of loving and obeying the Lord among its people and their leaders.

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 5:6-21

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Power to Become Rich

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“Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich, and He does it to fulfill His promise to your ancestors” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

A Christian woman whom I knew, worth many millions of dollars, panicked when the stock market dropped and she lost almost one million dollars. Even though she had tens of millions in reserve, she was filled with apprehension and fear that she would die a pauper. She had never discovered the adventure and freedom of “giving and receiving” in a trust relationship with God.

Conversely, a businessman called me long distance a short time later to tell me how excited he was over the way God was blessing his new business venture. He had decided to give all the profits – potentially millions – toward helping to reach the world for Christ.

“I am sending $50,000 for Here’s Life in Asia,” he said. “And there will be much more later. I don’t want to invest in buildings. I want to invest this money where it will be used immediately to win and disciple people for Christ.”

The principle is the same, whether you have $100 or $1 million. Ask God to tell you what to do toward helping to fulfill the Great Commission. Second, look for a worthy, proven project that you can support monthly, if only modestly, in addition to your commitment to your local church.

As your faith in God’s love and trustworthiness grows, prayerfully make a faith promise pledge that is greater than you are capable of fulfilling with your present income.

Bible Reading: Malachi 3:7-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will ask God today to help me trust Him to give – by faith – more than I can possibly afford to give toward his work, with the certainty that He will supply all my needs and enable me to meet my faith promise pledge supernaturally.

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Everlasting Arms

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Alistair Begg

Underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27

God-the eternal God-is Himself our support at all times, and especially when we are sinking in deep trouble. There are seasons when the Christian sinks very low in humiliation. Under a deep sense of his great sinfulness, he is humbled before God until he hardly knows how to pray, because he appears, in his own sight, so worthless.

Well, child of God, remember that when you are at your worst and lowest, even then “underneath” you “are the everlasting arms.” Sin may drag you ever so low, but Christ’s great atonement is still under all. You may have descended into the depths, but you cannot have fallen so low as the uttermost; and He saves “to the uttermost.”1

Again, the Christian sometimes sinks very deeply in sore trial from without. Every earthly prop is cut away. What then? Still underneath him are “the everlasting arms.”

He cannot fall so deep in distress and affliction but what the covenant grace of an ever-faithful God will still encircle him. The Christian may be sinking under trouble from within through fierce conflict; but even then he cannot be brought so low as to be beyond the reach of the “everlasting arms”-they are underneath him; and, while he is sustained, all Satan’s efforts to harm him achieve nothing.

This assurance of support is a comfort to any weary but sincere worker in the service of God. It implies a promise of strength for each day, grace for each need, and power for each duty.

And, finally, when death comes, the promise will still hold good. When we stand in the middle of the Jordan, we will be able to say with David, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”2

We will descend into the grave, but we shall go no lower, for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, and at its close, we shall be upheld by the “everlasting arms”-arms that neither flag nor lose their strength, for “the everlasting God . . . does not faint or grow weary.”3

1 Hebrews 7:25 2 Psalm 23:4 3 Isaiah 40:28

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Chastisement

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“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.” Hebrews 12:5

Suggested Further Reading: Deuteronomy 8:1-6

What son is there whom the Father chasteneth not? You ministers of God who preach the gospel, is there amongst your ranks one son whom his Father chastens not? Unanimously they reply, “We all have been chastened.” You holy prophets who testified God’s word with the Holy Ghost from heaven, is there one amongst your number whom God chastened not? Abraham, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Malachi, answer; and unanimously cry, “There is not one among us whom the Father chasteneth not.” You kings, you chosen ones, you Davids and you Solomons, is there one in your high and lofty ranks who has escaped chastisement? Answer David! Were you not obliged to cross the brook Kedron in the darkness? Answer Hezekiah! Did you not spread the letter before the Lord? Answer Jehoshaphat! Did you not have the cross when the ships were broken that were sent to Tarshish for gold? Oh starry host above, translated out of the reach of the trials of this world, is there one amongst you whom the Father chastened not? Not one; there is not one in heaven whose back was unscarred by the chastening rod, if he attained to the age when he needed it. The infant alone escapes, flying at once from his mother’s breast to heaven. There is one whom I will ask, the Son of God, the Son par excellence, the chief of all the family. Son of God Incarnate, did you escape the rod? Son without sin, were you a Son without punishment? Were you chastised? Hark! The hosts of earth and heaven reply—the church militant and triumphant answer: “The chastisement of our peace was even upon him; he suffered; he bore the cross; he endured the curse as well as any of us; yea, more, he endured ten thousand-fold more chastisement than any of us can by any possibility endure.”

For meditation: Christians have different gifts and different callings, but this is something shared by all. How do you react when God disciplines you? Does the experience leave you dismissive, discouraged or (as God intends) disciplined?

Sermon no. 48

28 October (1855)

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Advancing Through Adversity

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Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 4:7

There are many people who get stuck in life’s hard spots, too scared or too bitter to move through the difficulty. Instead, these folks wait for the Lord to remove the trial, and yet He doesn’t always work that way. But God wants His children to trust Him so they can advance through their adversity.

The way that a person responds to hardship reveals his or her true character. And tough situations are the times when God’s children most need to match actions to words. It’s easy to say, “I trust the Lord” or “My God is faithful” when life is good. But unless believers recognize that He is sovereign even in adversity, they may be tempted to complain and seek pity. Christians who trust in the Lord’s faithfulness and supremacy will steadfastly focus on Him and as a result will see their anxiety and doubt subside.

In order to conquer adversity, we must begin moving through it. Even though we may not know what God’s purpose is, it’s essential for a suffering believer to surrender to His will. We certainly won’t like the pain, and we’ll definitely want the situation to change—fast. But giving the Lord free rein allows Him to mature our faith, conform us to the likeness of His Son, and fulfill His unique plan for our lives.

Surrendering does not seem like a way to advance anywhere. But in reality, we’re just handing over the controls to God and saying, “You guide me where You want me to go.” Doing so requires a lot of trust, but we serve a Lord who is worthy of our faith and confidence.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Only God Knows the Future

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Joyce meyer

There shall not be found among you anyone who…uses divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12

Today many people go to fortunetellers or psychics, or consult horoscopes, or watch movies and read books that make casting spells and other occult activities seem attractive. These activities were once geared mostly to adults, but have now become extremely popular with children.

The Bible has much to say about witchcraft, consulting mediums and other activities that offend God and that He considers off-limits.

God’s Word has been attacked more than any other book in history, and it is still around. It is actually a compilation of 66 books written by different authors, yet it all coincides and makes sense. That couldn’t have “just happened.”

I know from personal experience and decades of ministry that God’s Word is powerful. It can completely change, heal, restore and set free people who will live according to it.

The Bible tells us God is the only one who knows the future and that His Holy Spirit is the one who leads us into truth (see John 16:13). If you want to know what’s ahead for you, read the Book by the one who can tell you and cultivate an intimate relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. I can’t say what all God will tell you about your future, but I guarantee that seeking to know it any other way will cause problems. God will tell you what you need to know, but in His mercy He will conceal what He knows is best to reveal at a later time.

People who have sought to know the future using means that God deems “an abomination” often find themselves tormented. But when you trust God with your future and believe He will tell you what you need to know at the proper time, you can live in peace.

Love God Today: Seek God for your future and trust Him to bring it about in His timing.