Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 32-34
32:46, 47 Footnote:
Moses urged the people to think about God's word and teach it to their children. The Bible can sit on your bookshelf and gather dust, or you can make it a vital part of your life by regularly setting aside time to study it. When you discover the wisdom of God's message, you will want to apply it to your life and pass it on to your family and others. The Bible is not merely good reading -- it's real help for real people.
33:6-25 Footnote:
Note the difference in blessings God gave each tribe. To one he gave the best land, to another strength, to another safety. Too often we see someone with a particular blessing and think that God must love that person more then others. Think rather that God draws out in all people their unique talents. All these gifts are needed to complete his plan. Don't be envious of the gifts others have. Instead, look for the gifts God has given you and resolve to do the tasks he has uniquely qualified you to do.
33:27 Footnote:
Moses' song declares that God is our refuge, our only true security. How often we entrust our lives to other things -- perhaps money, career, a noble cause, or a lifelong dream. But our only true refuge is the eternal God, who always holds out his arms to catch us when the shaky supports that we trust collapse and we fall. No storm can destroy us when we take refuge in him. Those without God, however, must forever be cautious. One mistake may wipe them out. Living for God in this world may look like risky business. But it is the godless who are on shaky ground. Because God is our refuge, we can dare to be bold.
34:4,10 Footnote:
Moses was the only person who ever spoke with God face to face. He was called Israel's greatest prophet. Yet even this great man was not allowed to enter the promised land because he disobeyed God. No matter how good we are, or how much we've done for God, we sometimes disobey him. The result of our disobedience is that we will be disciplined. God disciplined Moses severely, but still called him his friend. When you experience the sting of God's discipline, respond as Moses did: Don't turn away in anger, embarrassment, or resentment. Instead, turn toward God with love, openness, and a desire to do better.
34:10-12 Footnote:
Moses, the man who did not want to be sent to Egypt because he was "slow of speech", delivered the three addresses to Israel that make up the book of Deuteronomy. God gave him the power to develop from a stuttering shepherd into a national leader and powerful orator. His courage, humility, and wisdom molded the Hebrew slaves into a nation. But Moses was one person who did not let success go to his head. In the end, God was still Moses' best friend. His love, respect, and awe for God had grown daily throughout his life. Moses knew that it was not any greatness in himself that made him successful; it was the greatness of the all-powerful God in whom he trusted. There were many great and powerful prophets during the time of the kings. But it would be more than a thousand years before one greater than Moses would appear -- Jesus!
Lots of good stuff today! We finished another book and have read 229 chapters!
Keep reading -- 296 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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