THE PLAN
Every Monday I will post the reading for the week ahead. It will be about 10 chapters a week. You might want to read a chapter or two a day, and catch up at weekends. If there is a verse that especially spoke to you, a question that you have, or a thought that struck you, please share it with your fellow travellers by making a comment.
6 comments:
Deut. 1 vs 31 'There you saw how the Lord your God carries you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.' Why why why do we, as the Israelites did, still turn our backs on the Lord though he shows his fatherly love time and again. Praying I might fix my eyes on His promises
9v3 "He humbled you, causing you to hunger....to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."
Convicted again of the danger of a full larder, clothes on my back and a roof over my head. It lulls me into thinking that I have all I need. When more than anything else what I need is the words that come from His mouth. When He strips away the things I think I need, this verse guards my heart against resentment and schools me to praise Him that in His love He is humbling me and training me to know that all I need is Him.
Really struck by 4:6-8 for what it says about the law and how their obedience to it was intended to bring glory to God in the eyes of the surrounding nations: 'Observe [these laws] carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?'
Reflecting on chapter 7 and other similar episodes in this period of Israel's history, does anyone have any thoughts on why God involves the Israelites in bringing about his judgment? He is more than able to wreak judgment on these nations entirely by his own hands. Why does he get them to make their hands bloody? In making them go through this experience, what is he teaching them?
'And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers... with great and good cities that you did not build, and house full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and olive trees that you did not plant -- and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.' (Deut 6:10-13). Everything is a gift. All is grace. But how easily we enjoy the things of this world and all its goodness and all its beauties, and forget the giver. His greatest gift to us was Rescue. We can enjoy all the other gifts in light of that, and we should never forget the One who gives them. Such a timely reminder prior to Advent.
Love that, thank you Laura.
Post a Comment