August 13, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The message of Deuteronomy is one that the church desperately needs to hear today. These final words of Moses given to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter into the Promised Land serve as a warning, an encouragement, and a charge. Through them, God exposes the idolatry of our hearts and calls us to give all of our love, worship, and devotion to Him alone in every area of our lives! Moses warns the people that when they enter the land there will be things that compete with God for their attention, their affections and their worship. We, too, have hundreds of things that compete for our hearts each and every day. In this book, God teaches us how to properly respond to the amazing grace He has given us by giving Him our undivided allegiance, our whole hearts and our whole lives. Over the next 34 days, let\u2019s seek this ancient way together as a church!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moses continues his recounting of the events which had taken place since the people of Israel had made their covenant with God at Mt. Sinai and rebelled against Him, refusing to enter the Promised Land. In this chapter Moses recounts their 40-year journey through the wilderness and the beginnings of their conquest of the land!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This chapter really demonstrates the truth that nothing good ever happens when we choose to step outside the boundaries that the Lord has set! The people had rebelled against God by refusing to go in and conquer the land, and because of that every single person of that generation died without receiving what God had promised them (v.14-16). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, the second-generation obeyed God! There were several nations which the Lord commanded them not to contend with or attempt to conquer along the way. Perhaps the people thought that they could have conquered these other nations if they had tried, but they were called to trust God to give them everything they needed, just as He had over the last 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The people chose to listen to God, to not cross over the boundaries that He had set for them, and because of that they experienced overwhelming victory when He did call them to conquer! Sometimes we think that life can be found outside of the boundaries that God has set for us, but the truth is that only suffering and pain and, ultimately, death are there. God\u2019s boundaries lead us to life. “He knows your going through this great wilderness” (v.7), and His purpose in setting those boundaries for us is always that we would experience true and abundant life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n