- If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain. Deuteronomy 23:24-25 – The idea behind this law was showing the people how to be a blessing to their brothers who were traveling along their way, but also teaching the people how to not take advantage of their brother. God allowed travelers to grab a few grapes and heads of wheat from someone’s fields to munch on while they were walking somewhere, something we see Jesus and His disciples do in the Gospels. Yet they were limited in what they could take to where they weren’t allowed to fill their bag with grapes or wheat to eat later. What we see is God teaching this balance of being willing to share with your brother out of your abundance, but also not to allow our selfishness take advantage of our brother’s generosity. For us today let this guide us in a couple way. First, be willing to share with others out of your abundance. If someone needs some time with you, and you have it, give it to them. If someone needs some food, and you have it, give some. Second, when we are the ones receiving, choose not to let our selfishness lead. Don’t take more than you should, don’t leave your brother without or in struggle because you took too much. Find the balance of generosity taught in scripture where we are willing to give to others and willing to receive other’s blessings. Let love for one another be your guide in how to handle such things, not selfishness. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3461
- 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
Daily DEVO 