- When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me. Deuteronomy 17:14 – Now for us who are looking back at this story about 3500 years later, the idea of Israel having kings is of no surprise. We think of King David and King Solomon, for Israel and kings just makes sense. Yet take note that this wasn’t the case for Israel at this time. In Deuteronomy Moses was their leader, and even the Judges of Israel hadn’t happened yet. Yet God knew what was in their future. He knew one day they would be jealous of the other nations and be discontent with God alone as their King. He knew they would eventually seek something other than Him, and so He made preparations long before they would need it on how to keep their focus on Him even after they sought a king. Such a passage reminds me of Roman 5:8 where God, long before we were chasing after Him, long before we were wanting to turn from our sin, long before we were even born…Jesus died for our sins. All throughout scripture we see God’s knowledge of the future being revealed, we also see how He uses that to direct us back to Him. He knew people would stray from Him, but He in His perfect planning ahead set ways for those who strayed to return. Know in your story every way you have sinned and walked away from God was no surprise to Him. Like with the Israelites, He knew at some point we’d chase after sin instead of Him, yet as with the Israelites so He did with us. He made a way for those who turned away to return. Praise the Lord that His power was used not to smite those who turned away but to open a pathway for them to return to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3456
- 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
Daily DEVO 