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Worth Repeating

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Repeating

Today’s Devotion: Deuteronomy 5

If you have kids you have probably used the phrase, “Please don’t make me tell you again!” or “How many times to I have to tell you…”. I’m a Mom and I have used them, unfortunately, often. I also have a Mom and I have had them said to me, unfortunately, often. Then I open up my bible and I’m having a flashback to Exodus 20, there’s the ten commandments being given to us, all over again.

There are several reasons why Moses is repeating them. 1 – It’s been practically forty years since they have been wondering through the wilderness. Those who were given the Law back in Exodus are no longer eye witnesses of that burning bush event. 2 – People forget – We forget.

One thing that is utterly amazing to me is how patient God is with us. Usually by the time I have to remind my kids that I’m tired of repeating myself, I have run out of patience; my plea with those words usually mean I am at my last straw. Moses so eloquently repeats the Ten Commandments. In 5:1, “Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them.”

But did you notice? “Learn them and be sure to follow them.” It’s one thing to hear something, it’s a whole different level of commitment or surrender of will to actually do them. And then think about this… We’re not talking about a dirty pair of socks here, we’re talking about laws that God is giving us as a standard to live by.

Truth is, it is humanly impossible to obey them, but at least we know the standard. It gives way to grace, our need for Christ and makes sure we don’t try to get to heaven on our own merit. So, I appreciate that God puts it out there once again. After all, we do need to be reminded and LORD knows we forget. Let’s not just read them as if they are a re-run. They are deliberately placed there for us to learn and follow.

Let Me Go, Please!

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Let Me Out

Today’s Devotion: Deuteronomy 3

Just like a toddler standing at the door protesting as Daddy, Mommy, or Granny pulls out of the driveway “Let me go, I wanna go too!” This came to mind as I read Deuteronomy chapter 3:25, Moses says to God, “Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”

My heart goes out to Moses as he begs the Lord to let him enter the land which has been his goal for forty years, but God won’t waiver. As a matter of fact, just like a parent would have to instruct the persistent and persuasive toddler by saying, “Enough of that,” Verse 26 says, “But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the LORD said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.”

Moses sinned against God along the wilderness journey and God told him that he would be forbidden to enter the promise land, instead Joshua would lead them in the end. Moses was so close, he could actually SEE the land, yet God forbid him from going. Verse 28, “But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”

Super big bummer… What a lesson for us, that even though we repent of our sin, we will have to take the consequences of it in this life whether we like it or not. So God gave Moses the instruction to encourage and strengthen Joshua, because he will finish the journey.

Maybe you are there. You have your face pressed against the glass door and you’re calling out to God, “Let me go, please!”, but God has someone else in mind for that journey (job, mission, relocation, promotion, adoption, ministry.) You take on the cheerleader role and champion the person that God has appointed in your place. Pray, encourage, support and aide them because that just might be the role God has planned for you at this time.

And of course, let God’s Word encourage you while you submit under His authority and His Will even though you might be feeling left behind. Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Rearview Mirror On Life

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Rearview Mirror

Today’s Devotion: Deuteronomy 1

Have you ever stopped to think and took some dedicated time to contemplated your life? It can be a dangerous journey to let your mind venture down memory lane where you evaluate where you’ve been and where you are now. Image life as though looking through a rear-view mirror. You can see the road ahead, but just so far. At a glance you can see the pass behind you and that road stirs up all kinds of emotions.

Deuteronomy chapter 1 is like that to me, but from Moses perspective. He gives a recount of the good decisions and experiences and then he rehashes the bad decisions and consequences that resulted from them. It’s neat to read this chapter and have the whole context of the wilderness march through the books of Exodus and Leviticus to be able to fully appreciate what Moses is saying in regard to the actual account of the journey it took them to get there.

Our lives are like that. We have made good decisions and have had some great experiences. Then there are those times when hindsight is 20/20 and if we were to do it all over again, we would have done things differently. The future could be paved with excitement, adventure, anxiety, uncertainty, fear or pain. While the past made up of beautiful memories, daunting challenges, hard lessons, major milestones and even some unsettling regrets.

Life is full of experiences (good and bad) and sometimes, let’s admit it, we have diverted from the right path – maybe even veered into the ditch. Our God is a God of grace and mercy, love and compassion. All of the bad and good of our past is also God’s hand in developing us into who He created us to be. Isn’t it exciting when you think of it this way?

Our promise land is on the horizon and God will take the wilderness journey of our life and make it purposeful. I feel like I have really bonded with Moses over the past several months and chapters of the Old Testament and can relate to his reflection on where he as been and why staying the course assures of a beautiful future. I value that all that he endured and the people that God entrusted Him to lead has given us a perspective into our our journey. And the best verse of this chapter is  21, “See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

God Delegates

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Delegate

Today’s Devotional: Numbers 34

Over time, I have have come to realize that delegation is an art. From the most successful people I know in business to the Wonder Mom’s out there make me realize delegation is the key to keeping our sanity.

Now I’m not talking about dumping their workload onto other people and abuse of power kind of stuff. In business I’m talking the people to which they delegate are people who are hired specifically to do the jobs, and perform the functions, that the over-extended CEO has to depend upon them for. They don’t feel like doormats or the dumpster for menial tasks; instead they pride themselves on helping the CEO look good and perform their jobs effectively.

What’s even more fascinating to me is that they do their work joyfully, they pride themselves in their work and they love their jobs. They wouldn’t want the pressure, schedule, accountability or stress of the CEO and they know that they are essential to not only the CEO, but the success of the organization.

Numbers 34:18, jumped out at me this morning when God said to Moses, “And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land.” God didn’t ask Moses to do it. He told Moses who to delegate the work too. God could have done this for many reasons:

1 – Moses isn’t the best man for the job!

2 – Moses was the big picture guy and when it came to the logistics of the Lot, there were people more qualified than Moses to accomplish the goal more efficiently.

3 – God knows how to leverage other people’s strengths.

4 – Moses had to coordinate the leaders to make sure everyone was going about their work appropriately.

5 – God knew it would be more fair an equitable if there were more people involved. Imagine Moses trying to organize all of these families and make sure everyone received their fair share.

The point I am making and how the LORD is teaching me through this message is that I/we don’t have to do it  [life] alone. I need people to help me and God puts people around us to accomplish His work together. Some of us are big picture people, while others are detail people and get the job done to perfection. God knows who has which strengths that compliment others. God knows who can get it done and who can organize it, facilitate it and orchestrate the task at hand.

It’s a beautiful picture (in my mind) of God accomplishing His work through others and God understands that we are better together, we can only accomplish so much when we are alone and independent.

Press On!

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Past Present Future

Today’s Devotion: Exodus 33

If I went on a trip to Europe and told you every city I visited, but didn’t tell you about my experience in each city, you would be bored. You likely wouldn’t care about the places I had been as much as you would like to hear about the sights I saw, food I ate, places I stayed or the attractions we took in. Reading Exodus 33 is like that. We get the recap of the whole wilderness march and no details.

Boring!

However. What I took away is that this journey expanded over 40 years. Moses and Aaron spent a big part of their lives putting up with whiny, rebellious, antagonistic, skeptical and downright disobedient Israelities. They even passed though several generations of Israelities that we learned yesterday only those who were under the age of 20 ever entered the land. This means the Isrealities who actually made it, weren’t even born when they first left Egypt.

So what does this boring passage say to us? It tells me that God is with us. God cares enough to put every camp that the Israelities camped. He records for us in His Word the entire journey [I believe] as a means to say, “Look where I’ve been, where you came from, how I’ve helped you, been faithful to you, delivered you and walked along side of you.”

Doesn’t this resemble the Christian life? I’m in my early forties and I can most certainly look back on my life, to this point, and see where I’ve been, where I came from, how God has helped me, how faithful (even though I don’t deserve it) he has been to me, how He delivered me and was, is, and will continue to walk along side of me.

I’m in awe. Are you? Is your life, whatever age you are, show you how God is with you? Even in those times when you didn’t feel Him, doubted Him, questioned Him and denied Him… He has been there and you know it now.

Just think about How differently our future can look when we take a minute to reflect on the past. It gives us certainty that He will be there. Yet, the world has a different story; the world gives us discouragement, loneliness, fatigue, guilt, regrets and hopelessness. That is why we have a different outlook on life. His Word tells us in 119:105 that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Hebrews 13:5 says He will never leave us or forsake us and Philippians 3:14 says to press on toward the goal!

So there is our marching orders. Press on!

Bridging The Gap

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Bridge to Cross

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 32

“Why do we need to go there when it’s just fine right here?” Is essentially what the Ruebenites and the Gadites were asking Moses in verse 5, “If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “Let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

Crossing over into the unknown when our current surroundings seem to be “just fine” is one of the things that I believe prevents Christians from truly experiencing the goodness and abundance that God has for us. People stay in abusive relationships, tolerate mean bosses, put up with dead-end jobs or settle for “this is good enough.”

Lies, lies, lies!

Just like the elderly tribe members, they were very sincere in asking Moses if they could build their lives on this side of the Jordan. After all, it was adequate. But that’s not what God wanted for them. He had them wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and just short of the goal they figured the had come far enough. Sure it may have been nice, but what was holding them back?

Was it complacency? Why go on, they’re just fine right there? (Amos 6:1 Woe to you who are complacent!)

Were they lazy? It’s too much work to cross the Jordan, it’s easier just to stay put? (Hebrews 6:12 We don’t want you to become lazy.)

We’re they selfish? Did they think there wouldn’t be enough for them so they should just take what they can get while the gettin’s good? (James 3:16 Where you have envy and selfish ambition you will find disorder and every evil practice.)

Were they greedy? They wanted first pick because they wanted to be guaranteed to get their fair share? (Proverbs 28:25 The greedy stir up conflict).

Were they scared? What if they let go of this land to find the land on the other side wasn’t as good and now they left this beautiful livestock worthy place? (1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love).

So let’s turn this application to you and me? Are we complacent, lazy, selfish, greedy, scared? What is holding us back from having what God has planned for us. Are we so caught up in our circumstances that we can’t see the possibilities for our lives and how to get there.

Wherever you are at and whatever you are doing, it takes faith to get beyond where you are. Let’s not be like the Ruebenities and Gadites and bargain with God that where we are is sufficient. He has a bigger and better plan, but we need to follow His Will and be obedient to His calling so He can take us where He wants us and has plans for us to go.

Sad Worship

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True WorshipTears

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 28-29

In my commentary, Dr. Vernon McGee describes the worship described in Numbers 28-29 best. “Now what does this mean to you and me? We hear a lot today about worship and worship services. But how much is true worship in our services? How much is just aimless activity? Real worship is when we think God’s thoughts after Him. This sweet savor offering which God speaks of as My offering, My bread, My sacrifice, represents what God thinks of Christ. God is satisfied with what Christ did for you and me on the cross. What about you? Are you satisfied with what Christ did for you on the cross? Are you resting in that today? His invitation is “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Have you brought your burden of sin to Him and received Him as your Savior? Are you satisfied with who He is? If He is not the Son of God, then what He did is absolutely meaningless. True worship is a recognition of who He is and an adoration of His Person. In other words, it is thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”

Have you ever thought of worship as being sad? When I think of worship I picture hands lifted, eyes closed, hearts connected and praises sung, but then I search my heart and remember that my most raw, heart-filled, genuine, God-centered worship has been on my knees, tears flowing, eyes puffy, nose running and auditory weeping.

Numbers 28-29 reminds me that sin is ugly and when we truly see ourselves has sinners, we become aware that sin robs us of our fellowship with God; sin is an occasion for mourning. When was the last time you wept over your sins? Have you been before God and wept over your sin, over the failure of your life, over your coldness and indifference? My, how we need to confess that to Him today. It is not because God is high and we are low, or because He is great and weare small, nor because He is infinite and we are finite that we are separated from Him. He says it is our sins that have separated us from Him. That is the occasion for weeping.

I realize it is really our lives that are an act of worship and we don’t want to be wandering depressed souls living aimless lives that is a constant beat down of our inadequacies, but an occasional pause to put things into perspective is not a bad thing. I think that is why much of the book of Leviticus and now a detailed reminder of God’s offerings are reiterated here in Numbers.

I’m Nothing Special

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Garbage

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 27

Moses gets ready to pass the baton. We have been with Moses since Genesis. Not only a long life, but a lot for us to learn from this man of God and today, in Numbers 27, is no exception. I love Numbers 27: 15-17, “Moses said to the LORD, ‘May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.'”

Joshua is to be the successor of Moses. After Moses lays down the work, Joshua will pick it up. In one sense he was the most unlikely one to succeed Moses. Do you know why? He was an average man. No one went around saying that Joshua had great potential, great leadership ability and all that sort of thing. Apparently Joshua didn’t have that. He was an ordinary individual. Joshua reveals what God can do with an ordinary man.

If you’re like me, I don’t feel like I’m anything special. You hear about the greatness of Marie Curie, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, etc, etc, etc… But throughout the bible God uses ordinary men to do His great work and I’m only to assume the greatest people in history probably didn’t see themselves as anything special either. If anything, I would bet most of them cried out, “Why me?” I’m inspired by Joshua and I’m always grateful when God uses the most unlikely as the best candidates to get the job done. He will not leave us to be without a Shepard and this tells me He can use ordinary people like you and me.

I’m so encouraged today that my ordinary day and ordinary life can be used by God for great and wonderful matters. Not for my glory, but His glory. Not by my abilities, but by His ability. Not for my needs and desires, but for His needs and desires. What a purposeful, yet amazing life we can led if we listen to His voice, be obedient to His calling and live according to His will.

Heavenly Headcount

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Appleton, WI

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 26

This is the beginning of a new section of the Book of Numbers and my bible labels this chapter as census and rules. The new generation is preparing to enter the land. The remainder of the Book of Numbers is about this preparation.

When I drive by those signs that tell us what the population is, I’m always fascinated by that number. I know it this the population that was recorded according to our latest census, but counting every adult on the planet is no easy task and it’s constantly changing. There is a small town that we pass through when we go to my in-laws house that reads population = 23. After all the years of driving past that sign and through that little town, I have often thought about going around to introduce myself to those 23 people and asking them what it means to them to be so significant? 23 is such a small number, but the fact that they live there and their population sign records it tells me that every one of them matters. In the sign above, I matter… I’m one of 70, 078!

I know, I have too much time on my hands, but truth is… someone took the time to count and tax payer dollars were spent to publish that number on their sign. So why does it matter? It matters because we matter to God.

Numbers 26:51 says, “The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.” The census determined that number. Sad thing is, that throughout the book of Numbers we lost a lot of people to sin, selfishness, greed, impatience, complaining and discontentment. The number is actually 1,800 few than the previous census that was taken back in Leviticus.

So here’s the deal, or at least my interpretation of what God is telling us today. You matter. We matter. We, collectively, make up mankind. God created us; every man, woman and child. This is our life to live, but we are His people called to live according to His purpose and plan. New Year’s Day was yesterday and many of us are going out in the world today (back to work, school, regular routine) with the intentions of being better people that we were last year or even a day ago. This is great, but we need to keep our focus on God, not ourselves. What is His plan to fulfill through us, what is He going to do to transform your heart this year and how can you most effectively do that? As we represent one human being in the headcount of believers, let’s exercise our significance and get out there and matter… For Christ’s sake.

Watch And Pray

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New-Years-Eve

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 24

This chapter is a continuation from Numbers chapter 23 because Balaam gives us two more prophesies – one being the coming Christ, which is a story that is shared on Christmas fairly often. It is also noted that this is the message (prophesy) that the wise men had knowledge of and is why they knew to be looking for a star to find the coming Messiah.

See verse 17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.”

Tell me THAT isn’t cool!

This makes me wonder if we are paying attention and listening for the signs that God is giving us regarding the return of Christ. I don’t believe you would disagree that we don’t have to look far. Turn on the world news, watch the global economy taking shape, the natural disasters that are seemingly more frequent (like birth pains – Mark 13:7-9) and not to mention how sin is permeating our culture – a whole new meaning to the “Sex, Drugs and Rock-N-Roll” quote of the 70’s.

If we look to the new testament where God IS preparing us for what is to come, we will see His warning in Luke 21:36, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

I pray for you my girlfriends in Christ, that we will be wise to hear God’s voice, following His teaching and be wise to see the message that He has for us in preparation of what is to come. With a new year upon us, a fresh start – a new beginning in some aspects. Let’s not only plan to be healthy, make wise choices, be financially stable or whatever worldly self-improvement plans we have to check off our lists. Let’s put more emphasis on time in His Word, Following His plan for our lives; watching and praying for what the future holds so that we may stand before the Son of Man like wise men who read the message and followed that star.