Deuteronomy Reminds

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts the journey of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land, from 430 years of slavery to the land of milk and honey God promised to Abraham and his descendants. It is presented as a series of sermons given by Moses to remind Israel of their difficult, 40-year journey through the wilderness, to recall the lessons of preparation as they stand on the edge of God's Promise, just before they enter their Promised Land. In the next few entries, I want to study Chapters 1 and 2 which concentrate on Israel's initial opportunity to enter their Promised Land and their lack of faith despite God's multiple miracles to rescue them.

Read Deuteronomy 1:1-8

. . . When we were at Mount Sinai, The LORD our God said to us, 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on. . . Go to the land of the Canaanites . . . I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants. (Deuteronomy 1:5-8 NLT)

The first 4 verses comprise the prologue to the entire book, but it reveals an interesting timeline. After the Israelites cross the Red Sea, one of God's miracles in their rescue from the Egyptians, their journey takes them to Mount Sinai, where God gives them The Law (Ten Commandments). In this introduction summary we learn that it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to the edge of the Promised Land, but it would be 40 years before they would enter. In verses 5-8 we find God's directions to His favored people, hear His instructions to go in and occupy the land He promised.

These are the lessons Deuteronomy teaches:

• When reminded of God's Actions ~ we find hope in following Him
• When reminded of God's Expectations ~ we should listen and obey
• When reminded of God's Character ~ we can love Him completely

Consider this!

• What promise did God make to Israel?
• What promise does God make to you?

LORD, remind me how You provide for all my needs. Remind me why I can trust Your promise for me. Remind me of the land chosen for me, of the place You choose for me to serve. Amen. ~dho

[Additional reading ~ Exodus: the life of Moses and how he lead the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land]

Glorious Grace

Gracious Lord,
Grace falls like gentle rain, steady and sure. Grace pours over us like rivers of light, faithful and full. Grace floods our hearts, spilling over and rushing free. We cannot capture or explain or contain Your generous offering. Yet, every day, we simply find more Grace lavished upon our souls. Gentle Shepherd, Faithful Father, Holy Spirit - You come to us with unmeasured love that is undeserved, and You show us unmerited favor.

Our praise comes with Thank You, sincere and simple. Our praise shouts with Hallelujah! and Amen!, grateful and rich. Our praise overflows with To God be the Glory, great things He has Done!. We cannot adequately celebrate or applaud or adore your Magnificent Power. Yet, every day, You graciously accept meager gratitude scattered within our words. Everlasting Light, Holy Father, Spirit of the Living God - we come to You with imperfect words that are unworthy, and, still, we find more offerings of Extravagant Grace.

Gracious Lord, how do we offer thanks for such a Gift? ~dho

Psalm 84:11 (NKJV):
For the LORD God is a splendid shield;
The LORD will give glorious grace;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

God's glorious grace and our inferior, imperfect offerings merge in stark contrast; our temporal, finite human mind is perplexed. This gracious, generous God accepts our frail, feeble attempts to praise and worship Magnificence, Majesty and Mystery. In return, He gives Extravagant Grace!

For me to seek the answers that only Mystery knows, to choose the gift that only Majesty offers, to know the grace that only Magnificence gives, implores Yahweh's splendid shield and glorious grace. The world is full of contradictions. That Perfect Love would pay the ransom for my perfected iniquity remains the greatest one. Gracious Lord, how do I offer thanks for such a gift? ~dho

God's Ways

God's glory is on tour in the skies, . . .

Their words aren't heard,

their voices aren't recorded,

But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere. . .

That's how God's Word vaults across the skies

from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

warming hearts to faith.

The revelation of GOD is whole

and pulls our lives together.

The signposts of GOD are clear

and point out the right road.

The life-maps of GOD are right,

showing the way to joy.

The directions of GOD are plain

and easy on the eyes. . .

The decisions of GOD are accurate

down to the nth degree.

There's more: GOD's Word warns us of danger

and directs us to hidden treasure.

Otherwise how will we find our way?

Or know when we play the fool"

Clean the slate God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins,

from thinking I can take over Your work; . . .

These are the words in my mouth . . .

Accept them when I place them on the morning altar. . .

Psalm 19 The Message

Spirit of the Living God,

I long to discover the inner workings of the
Father's Plan for me. In these times of waiting,
grant my soul peace, my mind discernment, my
heart patience. How I can feel Your presence
and sense the power of Your Ways! Yet,
sometimes I can only watch You work. In
these times, I must trust You.

Prepare my heart with Your Desires. Prepare

my mind with the wisdom I will need. Prepare

my soul for the path You choose. Holy Spirit,

whisper the mysterious and wonderful things the

Father has for me. Praises for His Endless Love

and Unmeasured Goodness - it overwhelms me day
and night! The applause of ten thousand angels is
not enough! Jesus, hear this prayer! Amen.
~ dho

Wait Expectantly

I pray to GOD - my life a prayer -
and wait for what He'll say and do.
Psalm 130:5 The Message

The Living Bible uses these words ~ I wait expectantly, trusting God for help, for He has promised. When we wait expectantly, that is called hope! In A Long Obedience in the Same Direction Eugene Peterson writes this about Psalm 130 and hope:

Hoping . . . means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. . . It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying.

[Hope] is imagination put in the harness of faith . . . a willingness to let God do it His way and in His time.

Is it our lack of trusting in God's faithful promises or the our cynicism towards hope that binds us to despair? Do we worry more about not being able to control circumstances than confindently going about our assigned tasks? Allowing God to work in His way and in His time often requires us to wait. By studying the Scirptures and through prayer, our relationship with God grows; our understanding of His character increases. In His presence we find a peace within the uncertainty; we are embraced by His peace through the waiting. We must wait expectantly on God ~ Who is Faithful, Who is Promise, Who is HOPE! ~ dho

Gracious LORD,
I come to the altar shouting praise for
all the blessings in my life. You are the Light
that writes the words of my soul-song. It is
You that gives my heart its desires. You are Hope!
Faithful Father, I am God-strong; my blessings
abundantly exceed my needs. Creator, gather the
details of my life, take Your holy threads and weave
a tapestry of Your design. . . You transcend all
circumstances, expose all evil, reveal all love but
never measure Grace. I am God-strengthened! ~dho

Hope Endures

I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable. ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall still praise Him
For the help of His presence. . .
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:5,7-8 NASB

The soul must remain willingly unguarded in its struggle with suffering, not for the lessons of despair, rather hope. It is Hope that reaches into the chaos and rescues us. Lindbergh's description of suffering is more about hope than despair. If hope prevails, God must have access to our suffering souls, and it is only in our willingness to remain vulnerable that He can offer lessons on mourning, understanding, patience and love. While not bound by time, His Grace is released in our praise, released by His presence, released through His unfailing love, released with our prayers. Hope in God endures. ~dho


Faithful Father ~
I come into the Holy of Holies! On my knees, my head
bowed in reverence, I ask for wisdom and understanding.
Sometimes my faith seems weak as circumstances crowd
around me and threaten to come between You and me.
Forgive me when the noise of the world drowns out Your
voice, when the chaos inside my heart closes the door to
Your beauty, when the ramblings of my thoughts interfere
with Your desires. In my weakness, I need You more than
ever. Let me love with a tender heart. Fill me with hope.
Come with me - wherever I must go. Remind me of Your
unforced ryhthms of grace. In Your loving arms I can always
find rest from the world. In the name of Jesus, Amen! ~dho

Promise Keeper

Nehemiah 9:1-15 The Message

They stood and confessed their sins. . .
read from The Book of the Law of the LORD their God
. . . confessed and worshiped the LORD * (NKJV)

Blessed be Your glorious name,
exalted about all blessing and praise!
You're the one, GOD, You alone;
You made the heavens,
the heavens of heavens, and all angels;
The earth and everything on it,
the seas and everything in them;
You keep them all alive;
heaven's angels worship you!

You're the one GOD, the God
who chose Abram . . . signed a covenant with him
. . . kept Your word because You are righteous.
You saw the anguish . . . heard their cries . . .
amazed Pharaoh . . . with wonders and miracle-signs.
. . . You split the sea before them . . . their pursurers . . . sank.

. . . by day You led them with a Pillar of Cloud,
and by night with a Pillar of Fire
To show them the way they were to travel . . .
You spoke to them . . . gave them instructions . . .
You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
You sent them water from the rock for their thirst.
You told them to enter and take the land
which You promised to give them.


In his devotional book The Power of His Presence, Ray Stedman describes this prayer in Nehemiah as a great model. God is more than Creator and Protector, He is compassion and provision, sustainer and redeemer. God knows our needs before we do, hears our pain's depth, provides for our hungering and thirsting souls. Stedman writes God sustains us momemt by moment.** Forever offering manifold mercies, God is the Promise Keeper. ~ dho

** Where To Begin, August 18, The Power of His Presence; Ray Stedman
http://www.raystedman.org