Deuteronomy – Chapter 11

And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm. Deuteronomy 11:2 – Interestingly enough there were Israelites, some even adults, that were with the groups leaving the wilderness but never saw the work God did in Egypt. How could that be? Remember it had been forty years of wandering, and since the entire adult generation that left Egypt had died off all that remained would have been their children and their children’s children. Those who were teens and younger at the time of the Exodus were now the 40-60 year old parents of children born in the wilderness, children who never witnessed the plagues or the Red Sea parting. This not only meant they hadn’t seen those works of God, but they also wouldn’t have known the slavery and known the power of God’s hand for His people. They wouldn’t have known the laws unless their parents told them. In church life today we too can forget that those new in the faith don’t understand things like we do. They may not know the stories we learned in children’s church. They may not know how to find the book of Deuteronomy. They may not know how to pray. Because of our years with the Lord, we’ve learned such things and we’ve seen Him do great things, but because their years are few with the Lord such things aren’t theirs yet. We then who have the greater years with the Lord must come alongside those with fewer years to show them the goodness of God we’ve seen and how to follow Him properly. In Deuteronomy, those who had seen God work His wonders were to remember and to tell their children who had not yet seen. Today, we who have seen need to share with those who haven’t yet so they too can adore our God like we do. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3450

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: ²⁷the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, ²⁸and 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