Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 23 before reading the devotional below.
I remember the first time we had a babysitter watch our kids. We left a note with lots of directions. There was a box of pasta on the kitchen counter that the babysitter could make for dinner. She could tell the kids one story before they went to bed. The kids needed to make sure their teeth were brushed. The list went on and on. Even so, as we left to go out on our date, we gave the babysitter a handful of other directions as well. We were explaining little details about what each of our children needed. She needed to make sure our son actually ate his food. She needed to make sure that our daughter actually changed before bed. Looking back, I think it took us twenty-five minutes to get out of the house that night because we wanted to make sure everything was just right for our kids.
In this chapter of Deuteronomy, God wants to make sure that everything is just right for his people because he loves them. He wants to make sure that he has covered every possible situation so that his people know what to do and how to do it and when to do it. There are directions about how to deal with the nations that have intentionally rejected God, for example. There are also directions about charging interest on loans and proper hygiene. All of these directions come from the same place as my directions to the babysitter. God loves his people. In his incredible wisdom he foresees many complicated situations in which they will need guidance.
It is tempting to assume that God’s rules are arbitrary or random. It is easy to assume that God is being callous or difficult. In fact he loves you deeply. His rules are the wise guidance of a tender and loving father. That father often understand much that we do not, so it is at times difficult to trust. However, if we have the courage to trust, we will find that God’s wisdom and love weave together to offer us the greatest possible future we could hope for.