Chapter 1
The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.’ Deuteronomy 1:6 – Moses is speaking here to the people who are about to cross over into the promised land. He begins by retelling them of their history of how God had blessed, provided, and led them up till then. In our verse God spoke to His people saying they had remained long enough in Horeb, now it’s time to move into the promised land. This passage reminds me of 1 Peter 4:3 when Peter speaks to the church saying they have spent long enough entertaining their sinful ways and it’s now time to start living for Jesus properly. It’s time that they begin moving towards their promised land. Whether it’s with the Israelites in Horeb or Peter talking to the Christian church, we see God is about us moving forward towards His promises, not remaining where we are. What then could you have been remaining in for longer than you know you should have been? If it’s keeping you from the promised joy, peace, and strength that comes from living where God is leading you, why remain there any longer? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1296
Deuteronomy 1 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go. Deuteronomy 1:30-33 – As we step into the study of Deuteronomy, understand the book is truly a set of messages from Moses to God’s people as they are about to finally step into the promise land after their 40 year wilderness journey. In this chapter we see Moses reminding them of what the previous generation did at this place 40 years prior. They forgot God’s power and choose to rebel against God’s direction. Moses is now pleading with this new generation…don’t make the same mistake! Their fathers didn’t choose to see and remember all that God had done for them up to that point, that though needs to not be the way they handle things. We too may have examples around us from family and friends of those that forget who God is and what God is capable of doing. We then are called, just like the people in our chapter, to not be like that. Learn what God is able to do from scripture and remember what God has done in your story so far. If He has proven Himself worthy to trust and follow so far in all of history, then we can trust Him with the trials of tomorrow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2426
Chapter 2
Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. Deuteronomy 2:5 – Here the Israelites were beginning their journey to the promise land, yet we see a few times verses like this come up. Here, verse 9, and verse 19. Where God says that He has already given a certain portion of land to another people and that He was going to protect their blessing from others coming to take it away. God here reminds us that He protects the blessings He places in our life from others stealing it away. Especially the promised inheritance He gives us. What does that mean for you? You don’t have to worry about someone coming in and taking the blessing of eternal life away from you. No enemy or attack is going to swipe it away from your story. God is standing guard over you and the life you have with Him. Your inheritance is for you and will remain with you. Today find peace in knowing your life with God is protected by Him. No power, no enemy, no attack, or no evil can take you away from the eternal life God gives once you step into it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1297
Deuteronomy 2 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. The Lord our God gave all into our hands. Deuteronomy 2:36 – Every single city that God directed them to take out they were able to take out. Moses’ heart was to help his people remember everything they could about what God had done for them so far. Every step up the way God provide and every direction He gave He gave victory where victory was needed. In our story, have such faith in our God that He remains the same as we are reading about in our passage. If God is directing you on a path, know provision will be there and if victory is needed, that will be found. There will be no city too high for you to handle. With God, truly all things are possible. Trust He’ll provide always. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2427
Chapter 3
And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing.’ Deuteronomy 3:21 – Moses was speaking into Joshua’s life reminding him of what he had seen God do and how God was to take care of him in his future journey of leading the people. Let’s be sure we are doing the same with our brothers and sisters. Let’s speak encouragement and hope into their story as they are leaning into their calling. Let’s be reminding them of what God has done and how He can provide for their very need. Enough things will be instilling doubt, fear, and worry into their mind, let’s be the opposite. Be thinking then today how can you be like Moses here and remind your brothers and sisters of how good God is and what He can do. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1298
Deuteronomy 3 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ Deuteronomy 3:23-25 – Moses is speaking of a time when he had a conversation with the Lord about his admittance into the Promise Land. Through previous actions of unfaithfulness on Moses’ part, Moses wasn’t allowed to step foot into the land beyond the Jordan, but was just able to lead the people there. Moses has been speaking about some amazing feats of the Lord in these last few chapters and he longed to see more. Moses understood something special about the working of the Lord, even the greatest of victories and blessings Moses had seen up to that point was only a small fraction of what God was capable of doing. God was able to do far more and was going to be doing far more in the lives of His people, and Moses wanted to see it with his own eyes. For Moses, he would have to miss out on seeing such things, but that doesn’t have to be your story. God isn’t holding you back from any of His promise. All that is His is available to you and all of Him is available for you to pursue. If you want to see God in His greatness and goodness, you can, you just have to make the choice today to follow Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2428
Chapter 4
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? Deuteronomy 4:7 – Moses is reminding the people of Israel of all that God has already done for them before they begin their journey into the promise land. Much of his talk to them I feel can be summed up in this verse. Asking them what other nation out there has a god that is near to them whenever they call on him? They had such a unique relationship with God that no other nation at that time had. We must remember that as a Christian, we have such a relationship with God. One where He is so near to us and is there anytime we call upon Him. Nothing else out there that people can place their hope in is as close to them as God is close to us. Christians have such a unique relationship with God, unlike anything else in all creation. Be sure to remember this and to be inviting others into this relationship with God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1299
Deuteronomy 4 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it….Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children…Deuteronomy 4:5&9 – Yesterday marked the final day of all our summer events for the kiddos of the church. Youth camps, Kid’s Camps, and VBS are all behind us now and we are prepping now for the grind of the school year with the kids. What I’ve gotten to witness though over this past summer with the kids is the value of this verse. I’ve had the chance to witness faithful to Jesus adults stepping into the lives of those younger than them and teaching them what they know about God and His goodness. They’ve shared His scriptures to them, they’ve shared how they have seen God move within their own lives, and they’ve shared with them His plan of salvation. I’ve also then gotten the chance to see the result of adults doing this…kids begin to follow Jesus. They begin to learn who God really is and they have their eyes reopened or opened to for the first time to His love for them. If there is someone younger in this world than you, then your role is to teach what you know about Jesus to that person. Teach what you know about God to your children and grandchildren. If you’re a high schooler, help the middle schoolers know about God’s love for them. If you’re a middle schooler, help the elementary kids know about God’s love for them. If we want to see the next generation following after Jesus then they need to see how amazing Jesus is through us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2429
Chapter 5
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy5:6 – That He was the one who saved them seems like an obvious thing for God to say to His people. Yet when we think back to the story of Moses on the mountain and the golden calf, it seems like God’s people could quickly forget that it was God all along that saved them and set them free. We too must realize we can forget if we aren’t careful. We can forget that it was God who saved us, rescued us, and gave us life. Maybe we won’t turn to a golden calf we created like Israel, but we sure can turn to acknowledging our own strength or efforts as what got us through. Today, let’s reaffirm in our thoughts that it was God who saved us. Not ourselves, not our wit, not our power, not someone else, not fate, not any type of coincidence, but God alone. He brought us out of slavery to sin and set us free. Let’s not let this truth slip our minds today. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1300
Deuteronomy 5 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever! Deuteronomy 5:29 – The Lord is speaking to His people. He had just given them the Ten Commandments and the people found themselves in a posture of reverent fear towards God, proclaiming they would follow anything He said after they had witnessed what they did of God on the mountain. God, who is seeing all this and hearing such a proclamation from His people shares what He does in verse 29. “Oh that they had such a heart as this always.” God’s desire is for His people to have life, to have freedom, and to have the abundance of His blessings. He has been, and is about to once again, outline for them His statues and laws for them to follow. The very statues and laws that have this promise attached to them of blessing and life if followed. Sadly, we see throughout the Old Testament how the Israelites missed out on so much of this blessing due to their disobedience and rebellion of God. Know God’s heart hasn’t changed when it comes to people and His ways. He still desires people to know His word and to live by His word. He still has the promise established that those who live by His word will find blessing and life. Oh that people would have such a heart as this always, to fear God and to keep all that He has shared with us in His word. Know within your life God has placed His word within your grasp. Hear it, learn it, and do it. Life, peace, joy, and purpose is found in obedience to the word of our God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2430
Chapter 6
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 – How are you choosing to remember the ways of God? For the people being addressed here they needed to keep all this on their hearts so they’d remember it for themselves and for the moments when their children would ask. They chose to talk about it in their homes, to talk about it when they were going about their business, even first thing in the morning was it something they chose to talk about. They were saying to bind the words to their hands and even write them on their door posts. They didn’t want to forget what God had spoken to them because they knew they needed every word of His in their story. If you agree that God’s Word is that important in your story, how are you planning on keeping it in front of you? When we put God’s Word in front of us daily, it’s not hard to find when we need it most. I love you, but Jesus loves more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1301
Deuteronomy 6 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy 6:10-12 – It’s clear in this passage that Moses had a goal with everything he was saying…don’t forget it’s been God this whole time that got you here. Everything up to that point for them had been God providing and God moving. The rescue from Egyptian slavery and the manna from Heaven in the wilderness, it was all God. When they would step into the Promise Land and enjoy great cites and good houses and tasty vineyards, all that they didn’t build or plant, it would be God that brought that to them. Moses’ heart and God’s heart was they not forget that it was, is, and would always be because of God that they had what they had. As we look then at our life and the blessings we have, let us remember that it was, is, and will always be a result of God’s provision that we have what we have. The air in our lungs, the family and friends we have, the protection from dark, spiritual forces, the salvation of our souls; all is a result of God and the provision He gives. When today you look at the blessings around you, whatever they may be, remember that it was God who provided and blessed you with such blessings. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2431
Chapter 7
And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction. Deuteronomy 7:26 – Choose to detest what God has said to detest. For the people in our passage it was silver, gold, and the idols they were made into. For us it’s things like injustice, pride, selfishness, apathy, greed, hate, and all other sorts of sin. Choose to detest it like God does. Don’t let the very things that we are called to keep far away from us be the things that take our focus far off of God. In our passage God is promising the people of Israel blessing upon blessing if they listen to and follow Him in this. God promises blessing upon blessing to us as well when we follow what He says. Detest the things that hurt our walk with God and detest the ways the enemy is trying to bring those things into our brother’s and sister’s lives. Do whatever you can to keep these things from your story and from the stories of those around you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1302
Deuteronomy 7 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 – What beautiful promises are being given to the people of Israel from the Lord. If they would follow the law of the Lord, their lives would be blessed beyond anything this world had seen before, or that this world could try to come against. Their families would be overflowing with life and health. Their fields and livestock would flourish. Every enemy would be defeated and taken care of. Yet why are they receiving from the Lord such outstanding promises? Is it because of an abundance of good deeds on their part? Is it because they earned such blessings by a faithful commitment to God for years priors? No, it’s because God has simply chosen to love them. He chose them generations ago, made promises to their fathers, and being a faithful God He is keeping to His word. Not because of any thing they have said or done is earning such blessing, God has simply chosen to love them. Know God has simply chosen to love you. All your past deeds and sins are not a factor if whether or not God’s love is going to be shown to you. It has already been shown to you, is being shown to you, and will never stop being shown to you. Our God has simply chosen to bless, love, and take care of us. What an awesome God that we serve! Our story has all the promises of God being offered to us simply because our God is faithful to His word. Choose this day then to follow the God that has chosen to love you long before you knew you needed to choose Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2432
Chapter 8
The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. Deuteronomy 8:1 – The “whole” commandment. It was incredibly important for them to understand that God was serious about them following all that He said for them to follow, not just the parts they liked and were comfortable. It’s just as important that we get behind this word “whole” as well when it comes to the way we follow what God says to us. To truly follow Jesus, we must follow all He says whether it’s easy or hard to do. Now does that mean we can’t ever slip up? Of course we can, but as followers of Jesus let’s seek to have a life that is wholly following Jesus. This is the journey for us as believers, where each day we are seeking to live more wholly for God. So how today can you begin to live more wholly for God today than you did yesterday? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1303
Deuteronomy 8 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18 – Moses outlines for the people just how special this land will be that the Lord is giving them. Valleys and hills flowing with water, wheat and fruit trees in abundance, a land where bread will never be scarce, a land where they will lack nothing. And when in this land that the Lord is giving them, and they find themselves embracing all that God is promising them, God is commanding them to remember it was Him that provided all this. When they are settled in their beautiful homes, eating bread to their fill, and their families are healthy around them, they are to remember it was the Lord who provided all this. Not their power, not some golden calf, but God alone who provided all this. This message from God to the Israelites is a powerful one for us today as well. While everything in your story right now may not be ideal, you are still certainly sitting in some fulfilled promises of God. Even if everything else in life is crashing in, you still have the wonderful gift of salvation in your story. Let’s just remember that all the blessings in our story came from God. It wasn’t our power, our wisdom, our wealth, our ability, or our effort that brought this into our story. God is the beginning of it all and God is the one who is worthy of worship for it all. Take time today to not only voice your thankfulness to the Lord for what He has provided, but to demonstrate that gratitude with your actions today as well. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2433
Chapter 9
Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Deuteronomy9:5 – This chapter makes it very clear that it wasn’t a result of the people of Israel being overly faithful to God that they were given the blessing of the promise land. In fact, they were overly rebellious to God all along their journey with Him. Yet, God remained faithful to the promises He made even when they continued to be unfaithful. We must remember the salvation we have offered to us isn’t offered to us due to our righteousness either. It’s not because we were so good or followed God so well that we are offered salvation. It’s because God chooses to love us and chooses to offer it to us. He’ll remain faithful to that promise of life to us always. Let this humble all of us today and instill a giant amount of gratitude within us that all we have in God was offered to us all on account of God choosing to offer it to us, despite the ways we’ve shown Him we aren’t deserving. God must really love us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1304
Deuteronomy 9 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. Deuteronomy 9:7 – Moses shared at the beginning of this chapter that they were crossing the Jordan to go into the Promise Land that very day. What then were Moses next words? Remember how you behaved towards God and where that got you so that the same won’t happen anymore. Moses reminds them of different times when they chose poorly and either worshipped other gods or allowed fear to keep them from God’s path. Moses reminds them of the golden calf they created and worshipped right after being saved from Egypt. Moses then highlights for them how this impacted God and how God was going to wipe them out due to their sin, but He relented many times. The people had a way of doing things and that way needed to change. Their way was turning to and worshipping other gods when life got difficult or unpleasant. What’s it for you? Today you are stepping into the day God created to use you for His glory. He has blessed you, shaped you, and brought you here. What though is a change God has been calling you to make that you haven’t made? Is it a change to trust Him more with things or to find more time with Him each day? Could it be a change in direction you’re going in life or what you are spending your time doing? Is it a sin that needs to be let go of? God is ready to keep moving with you, how though is God leading you to change today? Know He is here to provide what you need for this change and to help foster that change in you, but it still starts with a choice from us to be obedient. Take the step into becoming more the follower God is calling you to be. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2434
Chapter 10
Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Deuteronomy 10:14-15 – All things in heaven and earth belong to God, yet He chose you to set his heart of love on. That was the message the people Moses was speaking to needed reminded of. Possibly today that’s something we need reminded of for ourselves too. See Jesus didn’t die on the cross and rise again so the stars in the heaven could have salvation or for the mighty mountains to have life. Jesus did all that for you and me and the people of the world. So that He could have a relationship with us where His love is constant and overflowing in our story. Today know in your walk with God He chose you above all other things in creation to set His heart of love on. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1305
Deuteronomy 10 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Deuteronomy 10:22 – Sometimes it’s hard to see how God is blessing you. Life seems to be taking more than its giving and the joys that once were ever present are hard to find. In tough seasons like this, it’s helpful to lift our eyes and look back. For Israel, when they entered into Egypt during the massive drought when Joseph was a leader in Egypt, their crew was small. God though had promised a nation would come from them. Now, many years later, anyone in Israel could have looked up and seen that promise fulfilled. Sometimes evidence of God’s blessing isn’t actually as hard to find…we may just have to look up and look back. What has God saved you from? What was your life like 10 years ago? 20 years ago? What struggle do you no longer battle daily because of His help? What’s something you can hold today that was only a prayer request at one time in your life? Yes, the season you are in today may be heavy and I’m not dismissing the reality of that for sure. Let’s just not dismiss the reality of God’s blessing either. Both the struggle and the blessing are real, know God is in them both. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2435
Chapter 11
For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Deuteronomy 11:10-12 – Where you are going won’t be like where you have been. The struggles you faced in the last chapter of your life won’t be the struggles you face in this new chapter. This is what the Lord wanted His people to understand about their journey into the promise land. God wants us to keep this in mind about the new chapters of life we step into. It’s too easy to assume that all the struggles we faced in the last chapter of life will be carried into the next chapter. That this new boyfriend will hurt me like the last one or this job will discourage me just like the last one. Maybe so, but maybe not as well. If God has led you into a new chapter of life, be open to the new ways God is going to use it to bless you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1306
Deuteronomy 11 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 – As you navigate the words of this chapter, this blessing and curse is quite clearly outlined. If they obey and follow the words of the Lord, abundant life is found. If though they decide to not follow Him and His words and choose to follow other false gods instead, then the abundance promised to them will not be available to them for they have chosen something other than God to follow. From a reader position looking at this situation, I think anyone would agree that following this God who had done such amazing things already for them is the best decision for the Israelites. How about our situation today though? We too have been given a blessing and a curse from the Lord. If we believe in what God has done, choose to accept the life Jesus is offering, and follow Him with all our days, we have the gift of eternal life with God and the blessings that come along with such a relationship. Yet if we choose to not follow Jesus and not take the life He is offering, then we have the curse of our sin still upon us and our future is death. Whether then it was for an Israelite about to step into the Promise Land or someone living today, the decision God has placed in from of us is the same. Follow Him and life abundant is found, yet reject following Him and only death can be found on that path. Choose this day to follow after Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2436
Chapter 12
You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. Deuteronomy 12:4 – Here the Lord is speaking to His people about the ways the nations they are about to take over worshiped their gods. They’d worship on every hill, under every green tree, and on every high place. God though wasn’t to be worshipped like that. His ways were different and the way to honor Him was different. While yes, today we can freely worship God wherever. In our car, in our room, out on a mountaintop. We though must realize this passage is talking about the manner in which we come to Him, not just the place. If we think we can worship God like we do other things we’re mistaken. Our walk doesn’t work right when we only come to Him when we need Him. Our walk isn’t honoring to Him if all we do is make it about our wants and needs. Our faith life can’t just be a part of our life when it’s convenient. Maybe that’s how we handle other things, and maybe that’s how other people handle things that are important to them, but it can’t be the way we handle our life with God. How then does God say to worship Him? Worship Him in those ways. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1307
Deuteronomy 12 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. Deuteronomy 12:2-3 – The Israelites were about to step into the land that God had promised them long ago, a land full of blessing and provision. Yet this land would also be full of nations of peoples who were established in their own cities. Even worse, these nations all had their own gods that they worshipped and their own altars they worshipped at. God made it clear that when His people went into this new land, they were not to worship those gods nor worship Him in the ways these nations worship their gods. Every altar they saw they were to tear down and every idol they were to dash to pieces. God was to be worshipped how He directed them to worship Him. As with the Israelites, we too will step into new seasons of life that are filled with God’s provision and promise. Yet these new seasons also hold new ways for the enemy to tempt up and led us astray from the Lord. Let’s be aware of this and even be on the lookout for the snares of the enemy as we step onto the new paths the Lord has for us. When we see then one of these snares, dash it to pieces. You are in this new season to follow the Lord, not to entertain your flesh again. Step onto the paths that God has provided for you and remain faithful to the God that has brought you there. This new season isn’t about the enemy, it’s about Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2437
Chapter 13
But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. Deuteronomy 13:5 – The heartbeat of this chapter can be found in that last phrase of this verse. Purge the evil from your midst. We see God speaking clearly on how we should handle anything that is trying to lead us away from following after Him. We are to purge it and remove it completely and immediately from our story. Often though our habit is purging it partly and purging it eventually. What then is something in your story that you know clearly isn’t helping your walk with God? A certain mindset? Some habit? A relationship? If it’s hurting your walk, God says to begin removing it. Know today I’m praying for you in that process of removing the things that need to be removed from your story. Please be praying the same for me. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac -Daily DEVO 1308
Deuteronomy 13 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. Deuteronomy 13:6-9 – Yikes. Truly after reading this whole chapter that was my first response. First it was with dreamers trying to lead people astray, but this second group is a whole different level. If your brother, or the wife you held close, or your closest friend was to try and lead you astray from the Lord to serve other gods, the command was clear. Death. What we see here is how serious God is about our worship to Him and Him alone. While today we do handle the law differently, it is revealing and guiding to us on how we should handle such sin when made present in our story. We should kill it. If some activity is leading us away from worship of God, our choice should be to end that activity. If a person is seeking to lead us away from the Lord, then a death to that relationship may need to be taken. If something is directing our worship elsewhere than God, our posture should be to end such a thing. God alone is worthy of our worship. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2438
Chapter 14
And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. Deuteronomy 14:24-26 – This passage crushes the idea that our offerings to God are meant to be something that causing us to be without and be lacking. We see here God isn’t wanting our stuff, He’s wanting communion with us! Here they were told to buy whatever they wanted to eat or drink with their offerings, come then to the Lord, and joyfully eat in His presence with their family. God was wanting time with His people and was showing them how to do that. God’s inviting us into time with Him as well. Not so we find ourselves lacking or without, but so can be filled and have communion with Him. Find time then today to spend with Him in prayer and in His Word. Rather than finding yourself lacking as a result of giving Him that time, you’ll find yourself filled if you come to Him as He says to. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1309
Deuteronomy 14 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. Deuteronomy 14:28 – As I read this chapter, and saw the true heart behind God’s command of the tithe, it truly challenges the way so often we handle giving at our churches. Often giving is looked at as something burdensome, something that is like a tax we have to pay to a government. Yet notice how God handles the tithe here. First, the tithe of things like grain, wine, and oil were to be taken to the temple and given to God there. It though wasn’t just given at the temple and left, but the givers of the tithe were able to eat and enjoy the offerings they were giving. Every three years instead of taking it to the temple to eat, they would gather up everyone’s offering in their towns and have a grand feast together that allowed the poor and those without to enjoy God’s blessing too. Giving to the Lord was a celebration for them where they were able to enjoy great food and great fellowship with each other before their God. How does this image of giving compare to the one you have about giving to the Lord? It’s too common to have a heart of giving that is grieved to let go of what is “ours.” God’s desire is that we see our giving for what it is, a way to celebrate what God has given us with Him and a way to be a blessing to those around us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2439
Chapter 15
You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Deuteronomy 15:10 – This chapter shows us how deeply important it’s is for us as followers of Jesus to live a life with our hands open to others. To be on the look out for the needy around us and to not hold back when we see their need. What we see promised here is that God isn’t going to let us go without. Maybe it’s hard to grasp that when we give we’ll have more, but this is how God works. I understand that in our time people take advantage of those who give out, but something I don’t see anywhere is in the passage is God telling us to worry about how they handle what we give. Let’s be wise when we give of course, but lets be open to freely giving when there is a real need in front of us. Trust God to handle you and them after that. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1310
Deuteronomy 15 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. Deuteronomy 15:13-14 – God established a command for His people that every seventh year, the Sabbath year, they would have to free those in enslaved to them. This would be the Jewish men and women, who for an assortment of possible reasons, found themselves serving someone to pay off their debt. Every seventh year, God commanded them to forgive whatever debt and free that person. What’s even more special is that God commanded the slave owner to generously bless those they were setting free so they didn’t walk away empty-handed. As generously as God had blessed them so should they bless whose they were setting free. While releasing slaves isn’t something we deal with in our culture today, how we choose to bless others is. We too should let the example of how God blessed us be the foundation for how we bless others. As deeply as He forgave us is how we should forgive others. As patient as He has been with us in our sin we too should be patient with others mistakes. While it will be impossible to fully match how God forgave or loved or blessed, it can be the target we are aiming for and the example we base our life on. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2440
Chapter 16
You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 16:3 – They are to remember the day they came out of Egypt, the day they were rescued. God’s not asking them here to remember the 430 years of slavery their people went through and all the struggle that they endured during that time. What God wanted them to remember is that day when they walked out of Egypt, completely free. While it’s healthy to remember where we’ve been, and even God tells them to remember their time in Egypt later on, let’s focus today on the day we walked out of slavery completely free. Maybe we’re taking about the day you placed your trust in Jesus and no longer were a slave to sin. Or the day you stopped an addiction. Or the day you let go of the abusive relationship. Remember the days God set you free. Remember how He helped you let go. Let’s rejoice today that we are no longer slaves to those things all due to Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1311
Deuteronomy 16 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make. And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates. Deuteronomy 16:21-22 – God had already established for the Israelites the command of worshipping no other gods but Himself. They had experienced the golden calf, they had witnessed what happens when people worship idols, yet God still reminds them of this important command. Here he even tells them to not set up trees or pillars by the places where God will be worshiped. As we discover later in scripture, Israel often continued to still “worship” God, but chose to worship idols as well. They would set up places of idol worship right next to the places of Godly worship. Doing exactly what God made clear to them not to do. Let’s be willing to discover the lead of God in scripture for us and actually follow what it says. We may think the actions of Israel foolish by worshipping other gods when God said not to, yet it’s even more foolish for us today who possess the entirety of scripture to still not follow God’s word. Take hold of the blessing of having God’s word in your life by learning what it says and seeking to do it faithfully. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2441
Chapter 17
Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. Deuteronomy 17:16-17 – “Lest his heart turn away.” Here God is directing them on how their future king should handle his affairs. To not go after many horses or wives or gold. Why? Because God knows what can turn someone’s heart away from focusing on Him and He didn’t want that for the one who was to lead His people. God also knows what can turn our hearts away from Him as well and He shares with us in scripture to keep ourselves from them. Like being in a relationship with an unbeliever, or pride, or not forgiving a neighbor. What other things has scripture told us to keep away from our lives? How are you doing at keeping those sort of things out of your story? God just wants your focus to remain on Him. Whatever then could turn your heart away from Him let’s keep out of our story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1312
Deuteronomy 17 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. Deuteronomy 17:18-20 – God is now directing the king of Israel, whenever they would in the future have one, to have for himself a copy of the law of God. Whether he was to write out this copy himself or have a priest do it for him, the king was to have an exact copy of the law so he could read it anytime and all the time. This reading of the law would keep him humble, loving towards his people, and faithful after God. As I write this devotion, I have in front of me the word of the Lord. I’m called to read this word, keep this word close to me, and to faithfully do what it says. Studying it will keep me humble, loving my brothers and sisters in Christ, loving the lost, and it will provide what I need to remain faithful after Jesus. So is it for you as well. God has blessed the world today with more ways than ever to have His Word in our story. Our role then as followers of God is to keep His word close and follow His word closely. If we want to live a life that is pleasing to our God, dwelling on God’s word and investing our lives to knowing His word will offer the direction on how to live such a life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2442
Chapter 18
When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. Deuteronomy 18:9 – It can be tempting to think that when we begin stepping into all that God is leading us into that the temptations to pursue sin will just begin fading away. Yet what we see in our passage is a reminder that not only could those temptations be there but we can expect them to come up. I wish it was the case that temptations would just stop when you pursue Jesus well, but that’s not how our enemy works. What’s great though is when we pursue after Jesus then we are already heading towards the one that offers us the strength to move past those temptations. That while yes these temptations are something we can expect, they are something we can overcome. Remember you have the choice to say no and God wants to offer you the strength to say no. Our enemy is already planning to strip your focus off of God, but we don’t have to hand him his victory. Take hold of the victory over sin that Jesus already won for you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1313
Deuteronomy 18 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…Deuteronomy 18:15 – As a reminder, Deuteronomy is when Moses was speaking to the people of Israel right before they stepped into the Promise land finally after their forty year wilderness journey. Moses wasn’t allowed by God to go with them into the land, so he is speaking over them all that God had shared and done up to that point to remind them to remain faithful once in the land of promise. Here Moses reminds them of a particular promise God made, that God would raise up for them another prophet from among their people. This prophet would speak and the people would need to listen to him. Now many prophets came from the Lord after the time of Moses, and this passage could for sure speak of them in part. What we see from scripture though is this particular prophet spoken of by Moses is our Savior Jesus. Even in Acts 3 when Peter is speaking he refers back to this moment in history to prove that Jesus truly was from God and is God. How amazing is it to see that even before the Israelites took their first real steps into the Promise Land, God had already been speaking to them of His Savior that would come for their rescue one day. Our responsibility then today is to do what God through Moses said to do with what this prophet spoke. Listen to it and follow it. What a blessing then it is that we don’t have to be in a place of waiting for our Savior to come and speak to know what to follow in this life. We have the words of Jesus recorded for us in scripture to learn and follow. Let’s invest our days learning what our Savior, the prophet Moses spoke of long ago, has spoken and begin following those words with our whole lives. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2443
Chapter 19
This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past…” Deuteronomy 19:4 – God understands that sometimes a mistake is made on our part that we never intentionally meant to do. Our hearts weren’t meaning to hurt and we never meant to cause the damage we did, it was an accident. How about you though? Do you understand that sometimes people in your life will accidentally hurt you, filling your life with pain yet never had any sort of heart to intentionally do that? We see God’s heart was to offer life and forgiveness to those who committed such unintentional acts, let’s have His same heart. The people in our lives will most likely hurt us, even the ones who love us. Many times in those cases their heart was never in hatred towards you or truly meant to intentionally hurt you, yet the hurt still happened. Let’s be open to letting go of the hurt and pain that comes from situations like that. Let’s be open to offer life and forgiveness to them rather than death and hatred. If God was willing to forgive us of all our intentional crimes against Him, let’s be open to forgiving the unintentional mistakes others do in our story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1314
Deuteronomy 19 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, 17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. Deuteronomy 19:16-17 – In this section of scripture the Lord walks through how to handle a dispute between two parties when one side has no intention of speaking the truth and is only out to harm the other party. God doesn’t leave room for mercy with this, instead He commanded such evil to be purged from their midst. What we see is God’s heart toward a malicious witness, someone who speak falsely and harmfully against another person. God truly does care about how we use our words against each other. How then today have you been speaking of others around you? How do you speak of your boss to your coworkers? How do you speak of people at church with your small group? How do you speak of your spouse to your buddies? We may not be accusing them falsely in a court setting, but we are still using our words in a condemning, destructive way. God has blessed you with air in your lungs and the ability to speak, yet He didn’t give you such blessings to curse those around you. Be wise and careful then on how you speak of others, especially when they are not around. Let your words be filled with life, not death. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2444
Chapter 20
When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 20:1 – God is giving His people in this chapter directions on how to handle the future warfare they’ll find themselves in. What I love is that in verse one, the very first thing He tells them about warfare is to not be afraid because He is with them. It wasn’t about battle formations and strategy, and it wasn’t about directions on where to go battle, it was for them to always remember God’s with them. Even when the enemy’s numbers are bigger than you can comprehend, remember God and don’t fear them. For He is with us. God must know fear is what stops us most from going into the battle so He addressed that first. Take heart, move forward in strength knowing you have nothing to fear because God is walking into the battle ahead of you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1315
Deuteronomy 20 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people 3 and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, 4 for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory. Deuteronomy 20:2-4 – Yesterday I was doing some study prep for Sunday’s sermon and doing some digging into the whole idea of what Christian fellowship truly is about. Something I discovered is there is a foundational purpose to Christian fellowship, one beyond that of bringing the best casserole to the potluck. This purpose is we are to be keeping our brothers and sisters in Christ following Christ as we come together. Whether that is in a church gathering, in a game of disc golf, or even eating casserole at a potluck, our purpose of fellowshipping is to encourage the fellowship between others and the Lord. Here in Deuteronomy we see the priest stepping out in front of the people before a battle. What is the priest saying? “Don’t be afraid, don’t panic because of this enemy, God is with you! He’ll fight for you and give you the victory!” The priest is encouraging the people’s fellowship with their God. Encouraging them to look to the Lord, to remember Him, and to trust Him. This again is the heartbeat of fellowship. Who then can you draw close to today and encourage their fellowship with the Lord? Who can you step into the story of, open their eyes to the God that is in their midst, and remind them of His power? This is why we gather, so let’s begin to gather as often as we can in true fellowship. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2445
Chapter 21
…and they shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.’ Deuteronomy 21:7-8 – It’s like a kid not wanting to clean up a mess they didn’t make. Here though God isn’t focused on the blame of who made the mess, He just wants the mess cleaned so there can be peace. Even if it wasn’t our hands that brought the pain, we can still seek God’s forgiveness and healing over the situation. I think about that with all the unrest in our country or possibly the pain that is in some of our families. Maybe we had no hand in bringing the pain, but we can still come to God to ask for healing of it. Don’t live under the impression that if hurt and pain is around you but you had no hand it in that it’s not your problem. Thankfully Jesus didn’t live that way, let’s not either. Lean in, ask for God’s healing, and be ready to use what He’s given you to bring about some of the healing around you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1316
Deuteronomy 21 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO When you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife,12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her. Deuteronomy 21:10-14 – While I don’t fully understand God on every law He had put in place for the Israelites, I’m grateful He made such laws for His people. Like the ones here concerning females captives, at first glance to me it seems harsh and unloving, but there is wisdom and grace here. We must remember what the culture was in this time, especially when it came to war and the inhabitance of the lands nations were invading. People were slaughtered and women were often brutally abused, sometimes even kept back solely for that purpose for the soldiers. Here God forbids that sort of vile action from His people. He tells them if they see a woman they think is beautiful, they must wait an entire month before any moves can be made. Making actions of lust and passion off the table. They were to walk her through purification and she would remain in their house that whole month, giving time to know each other. While again I don’t fully understand or agree with this whole idea of female captives, I’m grateful we have a God who wouldn’t stand for such vileness from His people. I’m grateful He understands His laws and I’m glad He established what He did. While we may not understand, nor agree, with everything God says in His word, let’s remember it is His word and His is God, we’re not. Let’s seek to be faithful to our God in all things and trusting what He has put down in His scriptures is truly the best for us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2446
Chapter 22
And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. Deuteronomy 22:3 – We are called to watch out for our brother. How could we step away from a passage like this and remain thinking God is good with us solely thinking only of our own good and forsaking the good of our brothers and sisters? Be on the look out then for when your brother loses something. Sure, maybe it’s a donkey, might not be too common of a thing today, but not impossible. What about though him losing his confidence in God? Or his hope? What about his faith? Things we may not find on the side of the road, but things we shouldn’t ignore when our brother loses them. If we’re called to take care of our brother’s lost garment until we can get it back to him, how much more important should it be for us to help out if our brother loses faith in God? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1317
Deuteronomy 22 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. 7 You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. Deuteronomy 22:6-7 – These two verses are an example of the sort of laws given in this chapter. Some make total sense why God gave them like if your brother is struggling to lift his donkey that is fallen you are to help him, or if a woman is attacked out in the open field with no one to help her she shouldn’t be punished for that. Then there are laws here given about tassels, protective barriers on your roof, and bird’s nests. What I hope we keep in mind not only with this chapter, but all these laws we are reading about in Deuteronomy, is that the land of Canaan, the Promise Land, the land they were about take over, the people in that land did the opposite of all these things God was saying. They were a tremendously sinful people and God wanted His people to be different than that. Hence so many of the laws that are given. God wanted them to stand out as followers of His and to handle all things as God would. As we navigate scripture and as we see all the things God is calling us to do and be, and we see how drastically different a life following such directions would be from the lives of those in this world, we see now that’s been God’s desire all along. That His people would be different than the world around them. In this world sharing His love with the world, but not of this world and not behaving like the world. Let’s make it known to all around us that we are followers of Jesus by actually following Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2447
Chapter 23
Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. Deuteronomy 23:14 – What’s interesting is this verse is actually speaking off how they should handle things when it comes to their bathroom needs. Yet while all that may not seem too important to read today, we learn something from it. That God walks in the midst of His people. That means God is walking in the midst of your life today. Is there anything indecent still out in the open that needs to be buried and left outside of your life for good? For God is with you today, in whatever you’re doing. He sees the great things you are doing for Him, but He also sees the messes we make. Let’s handle properly the messes we make, not leaving them out in the open. Not meaning we are to hide them from God, but to properly deal with them as He says to. Bury them in Him and leave it for good so you can walk in His holiness. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1318
Deuteronomy 23 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. Deuteronomy 23:23 – Chapter 23 gives us a few different categories of laws for God’s people, one of which was about making vows to God. If an Israelite made a vow to the Lord, God made it clear that they should not delay in accomplishing what they said they would do. That if they spoke such words to the Lord they should be faithful to what they have spoken. In our story God is desiring such a commitment to what we tell Him we’ll do. When we tell the Lord we’ll stop chasing after that sin, we need to begin the process of stopping chasing after that sin. When we tell the Lord that we’re going to make a better effort to pray or read scripture, then let’s begin that effort. If you are a Christian, that means at some point in your story you shared with the Lord that you are committing your life to following Him. Maybe between the time you made that commitment to today there hasn’t been a strong fulfilling of those words; today though can be the day you begin. Today can be the day you begin following Jesus like your words once told Jesus you would do. How to begin? Once simple first step is to look at each situation in your day and ask that famous question, what would Jesus do? How would Jesus handle this or what would Jesus say to them right now? Whatever the answer, do that. Follow Jesus’ lead. Tomorrow doesn’t have to be when you begin really following Jesus with your life, today can be that day. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2448
Chapter 24
When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 24:19 – Use what you have to help those who don’t have. Maybe today this passage resonated with me more than normal because today we are having our first foster kid stay with us. This idea of using the blessings God has given us to help someone who hasn’t been so blessed. We can be their blessing. Today, be someone’s blessing. Even if you don’t have monetary things, you can still give joy and kindness out in bucket loads. Let people be blessed today because of you. Share what God has poured into your life. What else also happens when we pour out into other’s lives? We then make room for God to refill us with new blessings. Bless others today and be blessed as well. Don’t let that beautiful cycle end today because of something as gross as selfishness. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac -Daily DEVO 1319
Deuteronomy 24 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this. Deuteronomy 24:22 – God shares a simple way for His people to be a blessing to those around them that are less fortunate. That whenever they are harvesting their corn or olive or grapes to not go a second or third times around making sure you got every piece, or to not pick up what falls to the ground in the process of harvesting. Leave those crops for the less fortunate to come by later and pick up freely for themselves as a way to bless them. God then reminds them to remember. That if this law was too much for them and they were refusing to follow it, God reminds them of their time in Egyptian slavery. They too were once the less fortunate. They needed help and God gave them that help. Now it’s time they help those who are in need. While for us I truly don’t believe God is calling us to be overwhelmed with shame as we look back at our past sins and pre-salvation life, I do believe God is reminding us to remember. When we see a person sinning, let’s remember we too were held captive by sin. When we see someone not following God with their life, let’s remember we too didn’t always follow God. Even within those times in our story, God saw us, loved us, and took care of us…so now it’s our turn. Let’s remember how we’ve been loved deeply despite our sin and start loving those in sin around us deeply in response. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2449
Chapter 25
You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain. Deuteronomy 25:4 – God wants us to find a fill from the work He is calling us to do. Here God is saying to allow the ox to be free to eat on the grain as it works. What then is the work He’s called you to? What from it can you find a fill from? Possibly the work in front of you seems difficult to find any sort of fill from. Know though God hasn’t put a muzzle on you to where it’s impossible to enjoy fills from it. Maybe the process of finding those fills isn’t as easy as lowering your head to eat some grain as it was with the ox, but we can work knowing God’s not keeping fills from us. Seek out then how the work ahead of you can possibly bring the fills you need. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1320
Deuteronomy 25 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. Deuteronomy 25:13-14 – In their day weights and measures were used constantly in their buying and selling. When out buying things like grain or meat, they could pull out a common weight in their bag and have an accurate way to price what they were getting. At home they would have a measure, something used to find an amount they were selling to another. God tells them not to have different weights or measures, not even in their own home. What God is saying is don’t carry around a larger weight when shopping and don’t have a small measure when selling so you can rip off your neighbor. Keep things honest and do what’s best for your neighbor, even if that costs you a little extra. And don’t even have near you, or even within your home, such things that may tempt you to take advantage of your neighbor. Now in our day we aren’t buying/selling goods like they were, but the concept of being honest with those around us and seeking their well being over our gain is a calling we’ve been given. Let’s look at what belongs to us and if it somehow could be used to tempt us to take advantage of a neighbor or brother in Christ, let’s get rid of it. Our desire should be the good of those around us and letting go of the things that may cause others harm. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2450
Chapter 26
And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 26:10 – Out of the abundance of our blessing God asks us to remember what He’s done for us and show Him our gratitude for it. Notice that it wasn’t a we give first then God blesses. God flooded His people with blessing, gave them the land He promised long ago to give them, then once they were in the promise He asked them to remember what He had done for them and show their gratitude. Let’s not only today remember all the wondrous things God has done in our story, but let’s seek out ways to show our gratitude for them. Let the way you live your life demonstrate to God you realize He’s the one who provided for you and you want to say thank you for it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1321
Deuteronomy 26 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it…Deuteronomy 26:1 – Moses was directing the people how to demonstrate their gratitude towards God and how to show they acknowledgment God as the one who provided this Promise Land. They were to give God the first of their harvest and declare when they do all that God had done for them up to that point. Yet what is striking to me is the first word here, “When.” This is something only a God who sees all and is over all can say. When you come into the land and have your harvest and have your abundance, then… Not if all this works out or if I’m able to provide, but when. So much changes when the “if” becomes a “when.” Think about how your life would be different if many of the “when’s” from the Lord were “if’s.” IF you make it into Heaven, IF I’m able to provide for you, IF I see you. Thankfully that’s not our story with God. Like the Israelites walking into their promise land, we’re walking in the “when’s.” When we all get to Heaven, when the Lord provides, when the Lord sees. Know our God is fully able and fully present for you. When God says something will take place you can be assured it will take place. When God says He’ll be there, He’ll be there. This is the God we serve. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2451
Chapter 27
Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 27:16-18 – We have it three times here, but many more times in our passage. That all the people shall say, “Amen.” It was important that the people agreed with the directions God was speaking to them. It was important that ALL of them were on board with it as well. We see taught in other places in scripture how detrimental it can be when not everyone is on the same page with following God’s directions. How it can lead the whole group away and how it can keep the whole from stepping into all that God is leading them into. Let’s be sure then we seek unity with each other in the mission God has given us. We can’t be going in different directions, we must all together move as God leads. What then can you do to help the whole stay together in moving forward like this? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1322
Deuteronomy 27 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. 3 And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you…8 And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly. Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 8 – One of the very first tasks giving to the people of Israel after they crossed the Jordan into the land God was promising to give them was to set up these stones spoken about in the passage. These would be large stones, and as many of them as it took to complete the project. They would whitewash them by using plaster and then they’d begin to write on them all the words of the law. Exactly what all was written isn’t clear, whether the whole 613 laws, the directions given in Deuteronomy, or some other breakdown of the law. Whatever the case may be, making it very clear and understandable to all was important. These laws should be able to be seen by all and understood by all. That any who would come by these stones at any time in the future could see, know, and be reminded of the fullness of God’s law. This does then propose a question for us…how are we making God’s word plain to others? Sure we could place some massive stone in our front yard, write scripture on it, and let everyone driving by see God’s word. We though have some other options the Israelites didn’t have. Social media, texting, letters, etc. Let’s use these means of getting God’s word in front of others that we’ve been blessed with. What’s also important is that we make it clear and understandable. Let’s do all we can to help people see God’s word and understand God’s word. For when they do, their eyes can be opened to just how amazing our God is. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2452
Chapter 28
Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:6 – God here was showing His people how to find a blessed life. To simply listen to what He had said and follow it all with all their heart. They would then find themselves blessed in all that they do and in every aspect of their life. But, as we continue to read in this chapter, God also reminded them how their life would look like if they chose to not follow His Word. Today you have a choice. To listen to what you know God has spoken into your story to do or to not. While our situations are different than the people in our passage, we understand the difference between a life that is filled with blessing and one that isn’t. God is inviting us into His blessed life and what we simply have to do is follow His lead. Let our eyes today not be distracted to the left or right, but firmly focused on Him. Take a step toward Him today and begin seeing more and more what a blessed life of following Jesus looks like. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1323
Deuteronomy 28 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And as the Lord took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the Lord will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Deuteronomy 28:63 – This verse makes you stop and reread it doesn’t it? God is going to delight in bring ruin and destroying His people? As we read even this chapter we have 14 verses on God’s blessing and 54 about the curses that comes when God’s people don’t follow Him. Does God truly delight in this ruin He is bringing? Yes, but let’s explain. First, God delights in fulfilling His word and remaining holy. So while we learn in scripture it does not bring God joy to punish the sinner and this isn’t His desire (Ezekiel 18:23), keeping true to His word and keeping things holy and just is His desires and it brings Him delight. Second, what we learn from that above Ezekiel passage and from further passages in Deuteronomy (30:1-3), is that God knows what such discipline towards our waywardness does in our story. It’s causes us to change our ways back to following Him. God is not up in Heaven with an evil laugh enjoying smiting the sinner, it saddens Him when His people chose to follow something other than Him. What does bring Him joy is seeing us return to Him. While all these curses were not things God longed to bring into the story of His people, He did, and we see how His people returned to Him as a result. Let us remember to stay faithful to God. Not out of fear of a curse or punishment, but out of adoration of a holy God. Knowing as well when trials and difficulties come that God is using them to point our eyes onto Him even more. Let’s settle that whether it is a blessing or a curse in our current story, God’s desire is our following of Him. Turn, choose, and follow Jesus and embrace the life of blessing that is promised in such a pursuit. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2453
Chapter 29
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29 – There are things about God that will remain a mystery to us. Things that even if God were to begin to share with us our minds couldn’t even comprehend about Him. What’s so beautiful though is God hasn’t left us without any knowledge of who He is. Scripture has been given to us to reveal some of the attributes of our God. We aren’t left with only a mystery. We see God has a never ending love. We see He’s stronger than the enemy in front of us. We see He wants us. We see He has a plan for us. God has shown us these things, and so much more, about Himself so we can follow His words better. What then is something God has shown you about Himself through scripture and how can that help you in your pursuit of Him? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1324
Deuteronomy 29 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 3 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. Deuteronomy 29:2-4 – The people Moses was speaking with had seen a lot. They had seen what God had done in Egypt, from the rivers of blood to the Passover. They had seen the ways God provided for them in the exodus and wilderness like parting the Red Sea and manna from Heaven. They had seen, but Moses says the Lord has closed their eyes from seeing. What is he saying? Moses is pointing out for the people their eyes may have seen all this amazing work God had done for them, they still don’t see God as worth their holy worship. They’ve seen the power, but they still don’t have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts that understand who God really is in their story. Not because God wouldn’t have given them such things, but they had never asked nor demonstrated with their lives they wanted to follow God like this. They were willing to walk through a parted Red Sea and into a Promise Land, but they weren’t truly willing to follow God. Let’s be followers of God that requests our eyes, ears, and hearts to be open to all that they need to be open to. God has done great things in our midst too and He deserve our holy worship and steadfast following. Let’s not allow the things of this world that has offered us nothing but pain receive our following when Jesus has done so much for us in our story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2454
Chapter 30
For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 – If God’s command was too far to reach, too hard for us to follow, and too complicated for us to understand, it would be cruel of God to have life and death on the line with us following it or not. What we learn though is that His Word isn’t far, isn’t hard, isn’t complicated. Through Jesus He has brought His Word so close to us and gave us the understanding of it. He literally brought His Word to us. Today, we are called to follow the life and words of Jesus. Yes, life and death are on the line here, but what we see is His yoke is light. He’s called us to love those around us and to love God with all our heart. As we see spoken in verse 19, therefore choose life. Choose to follow the living Word of God in all you do and find the blessed life we see God promising you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1325
Deuteronomy 30 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. Deuteronomy 30:4 – Life or death. Blessing or curse. Together or separated. These choices were being laid out in front of God’s people before they took their initial steps into the promise land. If they would obey God’s word, life, blessing, and togetherness would be found. Such as the promise here in our verse, no matter where their sin would have cast them out to, there God would see them and bring them back home. He would set free, heal, and bring back together His people just like He had done before. My heart today goes out to those who feel like they have sinned so deeply that they are out of God’s reach of rescue. If that’s your story today, see how far God’s reach can go. It doesn’t matter how far you gotten or how deep the hole is you have dug for yourself, if there is a turning of your heart to Jesus then He can save you there. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2455
Chapter 31
And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them.” Deuteronomy 31:16 – What a way for Joshua to begin his time as their leader. God is already preparing Joshua for the failure of His people in following Him. Leaders can lead, and even be great at doing it, but it’s up to the people to choose if they’ll follow or not. This applies to government, to our church leaders, and ultimately if we’ll follow God. My heart is heavy for all those in any leadership position in this unique season we’re all in. They have a heavy weight on their shoulders to lead whoever they are over through uncharted waters that seem to keep changing. Today, find time to pray over some of our leaders…yes, even the ones you don’t like. They probably need it more anyways lol. Either way they are people hopefully trying to do what right and most likely they have families at home they are called to love as well. Pray for their peace, joy, and wisdom. Praise God though we have Savior who is over all this. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1326
Deuteronomy 31 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. Deuteronomy 31:12-13 – Last Sunday I had the blessing to preach on the concept of fellowship. We unpacked how it is so much more than just a potluck, but it’s an intentional gathering of believers seeking to foster each others relationship with God. Much like we see in our passage. Moses is gathering the people together. Young, old, male, female, and even those just traveling through. Once gathered the law would have been read over them so they all knew the fullness of God’s word, even the little ones who hadn’t had a chance yet to hear it before like this. They were coming together to encourage each other’s pursuit of God and pursuit of this calling to be faithful to Him. This is fellowship. As I write this, it’s Saturday morning meaning tomorrow is Sunday, our typically gathering time for the church. Be intentional tomorrow when you gather. Seek out as many ways as you can to help your brothers and sisters in their walk with Jesus. Encourage, uplift, listen, direct, and pray for them. Let’s be like this assembly in Deuteronomy who chose to gather and share with each other the word of God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2456
Chapter 32
For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. Deuteronomy 32:47 – The word they were hearing from God that day was the life giving direction they needed. God wanted them to realize this wasn’t just some empty speech that truly didn’t matter if they listened to or not. It was the words that would either mean life or death for them. For us, scripture shouldn’t be something we take as empty speech that we think doesn’t really matter if we listen to or not. In God’s Word we find our purpose to life, our path to hope in the chaos, and we even learn how to find forgiveness of our sinfulness. Truly God’s Word shows us the life we need. So whether the passage is your favorite verse or maybe it’s a Old Testament chapter that just seems so disconnected from today’s time, try to listen to what God is saying through it. His Word has meaning and power. Seek out the message God has for you in His Word. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1327
Deuteronomy 32 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. Deuteronomy 32:31 – This chapter is a song that God is speaking over His people. He speaks of how when His people turned away from Him that He allowed their enemies to have victory over them. Yet even in those victories that should have opened their eyes to the truth that it wasn’t just a powerful enemy against them, but God’s displeasure was towards them. For Israel was a mighty nation but was being destroyed by far less powerful ones. As the verse prior puts it, “How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight…” For these enemies didn’t have a rock like our Rock. Sure, these enemies had idols that they worshipped and leaned on for victory, but these idols, or rocks, were lifeless and powerless. It wasn’t these false gods giving these enemies of Israel victory. We see that even in their defeats, God was trying to open the eyes of His people to who He was and how much they should worship Him over all else. Our Rock, our firm foundation and place we can lean on is far different than that of the world. God can support, He can fight for us, He can rescue us from the hand of the enemy. No other rock that we may seek to stand on in life can do all that we need, but Jesus can. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2457
Chapter 33
Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs. Deuteronomy33:29 – For a people that kept following after other gods, we have Moses here declaring his desire for their good in this future journey. He called them out by name, blessed them, and reminded them of the special place in God’s eye they have. Like Moses, know God desires good for you in your journey ahead. He calls you by name, blesses your journey, and wants to remind you of the special place you have in His eye. God wants your journey to be filled with what’s good and holy, we just need to be sure to choose that ourselves. Know He’s chosen to bless our journey, we though need to chose to let Him lead our steps. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1328
Deuteronomy 33 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And of Levi he said, “Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah… Deuteronomy 33:8 – The Urim and Thummim is something we see spoken about a handful of times in scripture and may be unfamiliar to some who read passages like this. Urim means “lights” and Thummim means “perfections.” Coming from my own limited knowledge on this topic, the Urim and Thummim were gemstones and they were used in certain situations to help discern God’s will and direction. Scholars are unsure exactly how they were used or carried by the high priest, but what is clear is that God gave His people a means of discovering His will and gave them a reminder of His presence. As Moses then is speaking this final discourse over the people before he dies and the people move into the Promise Land, this should have been such a healthy reminder for them. Yes, Moses would no longer be with them, but God would still be. While Moses wouldn’t be able to be there anymore to find out God’s direction, they still would have the tools and people God provided to always discover His will. They weren’t going to be walking alone nor without direction into this new season. While we today don’t have things like the Urim and Thummim, we do have the blessing of God’s word, prayer, and the church. These are beautiful means God has provided for us to never walk alone nor lost into the seasons we find ourselves in. Whether God’s people were walking into the Promise Land or into work today, God is never leaving them without. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2458
Chapter 34
And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. Deuteronomy 34:8 – There was a time of grieving and then there was a time of moving on into all that God had for them. Today I’m not going to make this devotion about you needing to finally move beyond the debilitating grief in your story if that’s where you’re at. You and I both know in time that move will slowly come. What I want to speak on is our need to help each other in the seasons of grief. Today, even at church, there will be people around you dealing with all levels of grief. Today seek to be a source of hope and joy in their heavy story. Keep in mind that you are not the one responsible for moving them forward, that’s God’s role. We are called to be billboards pointing them to the hope, strength, peace, and joy God gives. So yes, God’s desire is for people to move past their grief and onto what He has planned next. Our role is to walk with them, remind them of our love, and most importantly remind them of the God who is with them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1329
Deuteronomy 34 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” Deuteronomy 34:4 – In this chapter we are told of the events of Moses’ death. God shows Moses the fullness of the promise land from afar. Moses climbs to the top of a mountain and is able to see the lush fields and valleys, the land God promised long before even Moses was alive that He would give to His people. Yet, Moses wasn’t going to be able to step foot into the land himself, but would have to be content with seeing it from afar while the rest of the people walked into the promise. That place can be a difficult one to be in, seeing blessing in front of you, but it’s being given to someone else. You are left watching, but not tasting, the blessing. How do you remain faithful to God in times such as this? First take a moment to dwell on the ways you have been blessed and have tasted the promises of God up to this point. Maybe this current blessing isn’t coming your way, but we can’t say our story hasn’t ever been blessed by God. Second, find yourself thanking God in prayer for the blessing this other person is receiving. Thank Him that they are able to taste His goodness and experience His blessing like they need to. Will this type of prayer be easy, not always, but it is a type of prayer that can begin to change the posture of our heart. Let’s celebrate when the blessings are coming our direction and let’s remain praiseworthy even when we see the promise only from afar. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2459
Daily DEVO 