- You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes. Deuteronomy 12:8 – Apparently the idea of “everyone doing what was right in their own eyes” wasn’t just an issue for Israel in the time of the Judges (Judges 21:25). Here in the years of the wilderness we see that the way Israel had handled worship was done under this idea, whatever was right in their eyes. How they wanted to sacrifice, when they wanted to sacrifice, where they wanted to sacrifice…whatever seemed good to them they did. Going into the Promised Land though all that was going to change. God was going to have a singular place for His worship where His sacrifices were to be given. Things were to be done His way, not man’s way. This would be going from whatever was right in their eyes to whatever was right in the Lord’s eyes. As we look at our worship of God today, which of those two would you say it falls more into? Take our gatherings on Sundays at our church homes, is what we do more tailored to please the eyes and ears of those attending or more focused on doing what we know pleases God? Sure, those two don’t have to be separate, there can be overlap and we can find our churches in those overlap spaces, yet if we’re honest I’m curious how much of our gatherings are catered to the comfort and pleasing of people rather than the Lord. Whatever seems right, good, comfortable, and pleasing in the people’s eyes is what we’ll do for we want people to keep coming and keep giving. If you are a part of a church family, I’d encourage you to champion in your church a focus on what is right in God’s eyes rather than man’s. Yes that may mean changes to how you do things, and some may not like those changes, but if it makes your church more what God desires than that’s all that matters. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3451
- 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
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