Category: Deuteronomy

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 25 before reading the devotional below.

We have recently been experimenting with chores in our family.  Each of my children wants an allowance, and we’ve agreed to give them one if they finish their assigned chore.  My daughter’s chore at the moment is doing the dishes. This is not a complicated task, since we have a dishwasher.  But nevertheless, the dishes need to be loaded into the dishwasher and the clean dishes need to be put away. Tonight, as bedtime came, there were piles of dishes all over the kitchen counter.  My daughter offered a variety of excuses, though she discovered that from my point of view none of them mattered. She is responsible for the dishes. If she wants to get paid, she needs to figure out how to get them done.

Deuteronomy 25 similarly discusses responsibilities.  There is the responsibility of the judge to take responsibility for the punishment he commands (he has to watch it himself, rather than delegating it).  There is the responsibility of the brother to keep his brother’s family line alive (because property was passed through the generations from son to son. If there wasn’t a son, the rest of the family in that generation wouldn’t be financially stable).  Finally, there is the responsibility that the Amalekites (a nearby nation) had to be hospitable to the Israelites. The Amalekites failed in their responsibilities, and the Israelites were expected to remember that and treat them accordingly (this may be the first ever record of God teaching healthy boundaries).

Frequently our anxieties and fears come from confusion about expectations. What is expected of us? What are we responsible for?  The target always seems to be moving or shifting or changing. With God it never changes. God has given us clear, stated responsibilities.  They are in the Bible. We must take the time to understand them and practice them, but we never have to wonder if they’ll change. God values clarity.  He promises consistency. That, above all else, makes him safe.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 26 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever received a gift that was intended for sharing? Perhaps a game that requires more than one player or a tin of popcorn that opens up for the party. When God gives us gifts, he wants us to share it back with him. Why? Because that’s his nature. Imagine if you had a parent that always shared their “shareable” gifts. That kind of person loves to give because they love to experience joy with others. God is like that. And he wants you to be like that too. If we are in the habit of sharing back a portion of everything we have, we imitate our Father’s generosity.

Today’s passage ends with a promise: God will lift you up. He declared that the Jewish people would be his special people. If they simply followed the directions he gave them in this book, they would rise above all other nations. If you have read anything else in the Bible, you know that they failed to follow all of God’s commands. As a result, they went through a lot of trouble and hardship and at times were conquered by other nations.

Let’s take our previous example of generosity: when you give you have less, right? “Less” depends on what is important to you. You will have less popcorn in your tin, but you will have more love and memories in your heart. God’s way gives you less “stuff” and more eternal value. Who wouldn’t want to trade a few pieces of popcorn or a bit of money for something of much greater value? Whenever you receive something, give some back to God. Thank him for all his has done for you and for his people. And give some to others. The generous spirit you get in return will be worth infinitely more.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 27 before reading the devotional below.

When we first got married, we bought all the furniture for our house at a flea market.  We bought dressers, nightstands, a couch, a love seat, even our mattress all for $425.  Some of that furniture only lasted a year or two – like the used mattress. Other furniture, like the dressers, were still in use even a year ago.  I resisted getting rid of the very last dresser for a long time. Why? Because it had become a symbol. It was a symbol of where we’d come from – we had no money when we got married, and we were still deeply content.  It was also a symbol of God’s provision – even when we had no money, God had made sure we had whatever we needed.

In Deuteronomy 27, God teaches his people to institute symbols much like that dresser.  The Israelites had experienced God’s miraculous provision in ways that were shocking, life-changing and unimaginable.  Some people might think that makes God’s miracles unforgettable, but God knows the truth. The truth is that human memory always fades.  Initial excitement can cool. Moments of awe fade. Memory dims. Experiences that may once have seemed compelling may seem more ambiguous with time.  Such is human nature. So God offers a solution: create monuments and develop ceremonies. The Israelites are told to gather a set of stones and to put them on a mountain for all to see.  In a world of deserts and valleys, that far off monument will attest to the truths that Israelite history records: God is faithful and he is the one, true provider. Obedience is the safest path.

What did you once know for sure about God? What had you seen him do in your life?  What truths of the Bible seemed crystal clear? Create reminders for yourself about those things.  It may be that you write in a journal. Or you might create a decorative reminder in your apartment.  It might be that you get a tattoo or set aside a specific day each year to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.  What matters is this: God has been faithful to you, and he will be faithful again. Rather than getting distracted by any momentary experiences that might lead to doubt, how can you refocus yourself on his incredible faithfulness?

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 28 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever had someone take advantage of you?  I have. I had hired a contractor to do a job at my house.  Less than halfway through the job, he sat down with me at my kitchen table.  “I’m out of money,” he said. “The job has cost more than expected, so if we are going to go forward…” and he trailed off.  At the end of the conversation, we foolishly advanced him more money. We never heard from him again. He cashed my check and never did any more work.  He stopped returning my phone calls and my texts. He simply disappeared. When I realized that he’d taken advantage of me, I was angry and offended. It was hard for me to admit, but I came to realize that I was appropriately angry.  Appropriately offended.

In these chapters we come face to face with the deep passions of God.  God has passionately blessed his people with land and wealth. He is lovingly providing for all their needs and desires.  In return, he expects them to acknowledge his leadership as their God. If, however, they reject him while continuing to take advantage of all the blessings he has showered upon them, God will be quite appropriately offended. He will take back all the blessings he has poured out on his people, and leave them curses instead.  Is this the behavior of a vengeful God? No. It is the behavior of a reasonable God who refuses to be taken advantage of.

His love is neither cold nor distant. It is firey and energetic. Your emotions are part of how you are made in the image of God.  Sometimes people wonder if they can trust their emotions, but this is the wrong question. God made you to have emotions. They are a part of who you are.  If you accept and embrace the deeply emotional aspects of your nature, you will find that they can become a valuable and integral part of you. Perhaps the first step towards this acceptance and embrace of our emotions is to adjust our view of God to include his emotions.  If you think God is cold and unfeeling, you will feel obligated to act the same way. If, however, you see God as deeply and inherently emotional, you will find yourself to be release to mirror God by being deeply and inherently emotional yourself.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 29 before reading the devotional below.

I grew up knowing the story of my family for generations.  My great-grandparents were immigrants. They came to America aboard ship, and checked in at Ellis Island in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.  My grandfather started his own business installing hardwood floors. He was the first person in his family to own a house. My parents built a better house, and sent their children to college.  I benefit from a generational legacy of hard work and family values. It is a legacy that I hope to improve upon before I hand it over to my children.

In Deuteronomy 29 God calls his people to think about their legacy.  He reminds them that the covenant (a legally-binding, spiritual agreement) is not just with them, but with their children and their children’s children.  The idea is simple: spiritual choices that the Israelites make today will impact people for generations. If they choose to be faithful to the covenant, their children and grandchildren will be blessed. If they choose to be unfaithful, generations to come will suffer the consequences.  

You have the power to make great decisions, and those decisions can impact the world not just today but for generations to come.  Like the Israelites, you have a decision before you today. Regardless of your past, you have a decision to make today. The Israelites had a mixed history with God – sometimes they were faithful, often they were not.  You may have had a similar experience in your spiritual journey. Today, however, God is placing a choice before you: will you be faithful to God’s covenant or not? Deuteronomy 29 reminds us of the power of that choice.