- When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house… Deuteronomy 24:1 – Divorce in Christianity is still a big topic, but maybe not as big as it had been in decades past. With the divorce rates so high in our culture, it’s no surprise that it has affected the church as well. So what does this passage tell us about divorce? We see that God permitted divorce within the marriages of His people, but only when there was sexual immorality at play. This is something Jesus Himself speak about in Matthew 19. Something though that is key to take note of is that while God permitted divorce in such cases, God never commanded it. Meaning that just because the spouse committed even an act of sexual immorality, that didn’t mean the other spouse must divorce them. They could remain married, work through the process of reconciliation, and move forward together. I bring this idea up because often how we handle our relationship with God is connected to our relationships with others. Culture tells us if someone wrongs you, you cut them out forever, and because of that we feel that’s how God handles us when we wrong Him. Yet while God could forever cut us off, He chooses to remain in relationship with us. He chose to send His Son to heal that broken relationship so we could be reconciled to the Father. Let’s then do our best to follow the example of God rather than the world. While the option to dissolve relationships, even marriages, is there, know there is still the other option of pursuing healing. When that’s possible, let’s pursue healing like God did with us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3462
- 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
Daily DEVO 