Take a moment to read Deuteronomy 2 before reading the devotional below.
Several years ago, I had to travel to Delaware. The car I rented was the first I’d ever driven that was fully equipped with Bluetooth. The moment I turned the car on, it synced with my phone, and started playing my favorite songs. The directions I’d programmed into my phone’s GPS were pulled onto the car’s giant touch-screen, and the voice of Siri gently instructed me using the best sound system that I’d ever heard on wheels. The ride was a breeze… until we hit the tunnels of New York. For the first time, I heard words that now haunt drivers: “signal lost.” I had no idea where I was, no idea how to get where I was going. I was depending on Siri, and Siri had lost her way because I was stuck in a tunnel. Panic set in.
Chapter 2 of Deuteronomy begins to set a theme that will be important later on: the theme of obedience. Throughout the years in the desert, the Israelites moved when God told them to. They learned to follow directions. Sometimes, it probably felt like they had lost the divine signal, like they were wandering aimlessly. But God had a plan. He wanted them to learn to trust Him. And when the time was right, He invited them to go to the land he’d promised them. There too, obedience was important. At certain times, God said to leave certain people alone. The Israelites obeyed. At other times (like with King Sihon), God said to fight. Again, the Israelites obeyed. Throughout this time, obedience brought blessing.
Sometimes, as with the Israelites, following may look like being on a mission or in a war. In this case, God was using the Israelites to bring His justice to a number of unspeakably evil nations. Following doesn’t always look like leisure or prosperity or happiness or convenience. It often involves challenges and struggles. But throughout the struggles and the challenges, the people of God will encounter the faithfulness of God. The best way to go is the way that God leads. You are most free when you receive what God provides. The Israelites didn’t yet know what that meant, but soon they were going to learn.