Daily Devo 2/26/13 “Not a Word Failed…”

“So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (Joshua 21:43-45).

Joshua had just finished dividing up the conquered Promised Land among the tribes of Israel. Please notice what it says near the end of the above quoted passage: “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (Joshua 21:45). God had kept the promises He had made to Israel!

Have you ever been disappointed when someone made a promise to you and failed to keep it? I imagine we all have felt that. Because of the disappointment of unfulfilled promises made to them, many place little faith when a person makes a promise to them. Edmund Burke said, “Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing”. Samuel Butler added, “Oaths are but words, and words but wind.” There is an old German proverb which says, “Nothing weights lighter than a promise”. Many simply don’t trust the promises that are made to them.

However, God’s promises are not like man’s promises. God keeps His Promises. Not a word of His fails. God fulfilled His promises even in the midst of what many would consider impossible circumstances. God had promises Abraham that His descendants would inherit the land of Canaan (Gen 12:7). However, at the time Abraham was a 75 year old man with no children. Abraham might have thought, “How would God be able to keep this promise given to me a man as old as I am without any descendants?” Years later before this land promise is fulfilled, Abraham’s descendants are slaves in Egypt. Again, an Israelite might have thought, “I guess God is not going to keep the promises he made to our fathers?” But as the opening verse indicates, God kept His promises. Not a word failed.

Furthermore, God kept His promise to give Israel the Promised Land even in the midst of multiple failures on Israel’s part. After leaving Egypt, Israel sins by worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32). Throughout their journey towards the Promised Land, they are constantly complaining against God. Eventually, their unbelief causes them to reject the good report of Joshua and Caleb about the Promised Land and to follow the evil report of the other 12 spies (Numbers 13-14). As a result, their punishment is to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Again, many of God’s people might have wondered, “Because of our failures, I guess God will not keep His promises.” However, God fulfilled his promises even in the midst of multiple failures on His people’s part.

When I consider all of these things, it awesome how God keeps the promises He makes to us. No wonder Peter said that God has “…given to us exceedingly great and precious promises…” (2 Peter 1:4). The Hebrew writer tells us, “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18). We have a strong consolation in the promises God has made to us because we know He will keep the promises He makes to us.

David Nicholas said, “God’s promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine”. Today, I will rejoice that God keeps the promises He makes to me!

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:3-4)

Daily Devo 2/25/13 “Claiming Our Inheritance”

“Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: ‘How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?’” (Joshua 18:3)

Through God’s power, Israel had finished conquering the land which God had given to them (Joshua 18:1). However, the remaining 7 tribes had not divided up the land and each claimed their individual tribal inheritances (Joshua 18:2). As the opening verse above indicates, Joshua expresses some frustration with the remaining tribes for their failure to go out and claim their inheritances so he instructs them to pick out 3 men from each tribe to go out and survey the land into 7 parts and then he will cast lots so each tribe can receive their inheritance (Joshua 18:5-6). The children of Israel do this and the remaining 7 tribes then receive their inheritances (Joshua 18:10-19:51).

As I think about this event, I wonder how often as Christians do we fail to “claim our inheritance”? For example, as Christians God has forgiven us of our sins as we repent of them (1 John 1:7-9). Do we claim that we have been forgiven of these sins or do we still carry around the guilt of these sins?

Again, as disciples of Christ who are striving to faithfully follow His Will in our lives, Jesus tells us we have been saved and are assured to be given a crown of life (Mark 16:16; Revelation 2:10). Do we feel confident of our salvation or do we just “hope that God will save us”? There is a BIG DIFFERENCE in knowing we are saved and merely hoping we are saved! It has a major effect on our outlook on life. The apostle John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

I am not suggesting we be arrogant about our salvation and use this as a way of looking down on others. I am not suggesting we can just live our lives any way we wish and expect God to save us. On the other hand, there is no merit in not being assured of our salvation if we are striving to faithfully follow Jesus. It is not being humble for those who are doing their best to serve God to say, “I hope He will save me?” Instead of being humble, it is being doubtful. This gives place to the devil to gain in foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:27).

Do you ever find yourself dwelling on your shortcomings and failures in serving God? Again, I am not suggesting we should not repent of our sins. However, as Christians it is critical that we embrace God’s love, mercy, and grace which He has shown us through His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16). A healthy walk with God means we are relying on in His POWER, not our WEAKNESSES. We are all weak, but thank God He is strong. We need to reach up and take hold of His hand and trust in Him to lead us. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Today, I will rejoice as I claim the inheritance God has given to me through His Son Jesus Christ!

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Daily Devo 2/24/13 “Failing To Follow Through”

“But the children of Joseph said, ‘The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel’" (Joshua 17:16).

Following the conquering of the majority of the Promised Land, Joshua begins dividing up the inheritances among the tribes of Israel. It was up to each tribe through God’s help to finish driving out the remaining Canaanites from within their inherited territory. After receiving his inheritance, Caleb did exactly this. He drove out the remaining Anakim (i.e. giants) from within his inheritance (Joshua 15:13-17). Caleb is a great example of perseverance!

However, many of the tribes did not follow through with keeping God’s command to drive out the remaining Canaanites from within their inherited territory. For example, Ephraim failed to drive the Canaanites out of Gezer (Joshua 16:10). Judah failed to drive the Philistines out of the cities of Ekron, Ashdod, and Gaza which was within their inherited territory (Joshua 15:45-47). As a result, these peoples became a thorn in Israel’s side by tempting them with the worship of their idols. In fact, after a couple of generations, the Philistines would be one of the people’s that God would allow to oppress Israel because of Israel’s rebellion against God (Judges 13;1). Later Goliath and the Philistines would pose a great threat to king Saul and Israel (1 Samuel 17:1-11).

All of this happened because of Israel’s failure to persevere or follow through in keeping God’s command to drive the Canaanites out of the land they were inheriting. As the opening verse indicates, God’s people, such as the children of Joseph, began doubting God’s power and began fearing the power of the Canaanites. Although Joshua did his best to encourage them to trust in God’s power to drive out the remaining Canaanites (Joshua 17:15, 17-18), the children of Joseph failed to drive out them out (Joshua 17:11-12).

As Christians, we have need of perseverance to follow through in keeping God’s commands. Many times we start of well and then get distracted by the temptations the world offers or, like ancient Israel, begin doubting God’s power and fearing the power of others. Like God’s people of Joshua’s day, the failure to persevere results in our becoming entangled with the world and growing distant from God. Today, I will strive to follow the example of Caleb and other faithful servants of God who persevere in keeping God’s commands!

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him ENDURED the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Daily Devo 2/23/13 “…Give Me This Mountain…”

“Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:12)

These words were spoken by Caleb the son of Jephunneh after the children of Israel of Israel had finished conquering the majority of the Promised Land west of the Jordan River. Caleb and Joshua had faithfully spied out the promised land 45 years earlier and had given a good report even though the other 10 spies had given an evil  report of the Promised Land (Numbers 13:25-14:9). Caleb had faithfully endured the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and the 5 years it took to conquer the Promised Land (Joshua 14:10). What sustained him during those 45 years was his faith in God’s promise made to him through God’s servant Moses: “Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God” (Numbers 14:9). As the opening verse indicates, Caleb was now ready to claim his inheritance.

Caleb says, “Give me this mountain…” (Joshua 14:12). In a sense the mountain represented his physical land inheritance. But, we often speak of “mountains” as obstacles that must be overcome. In this sense there were still some mountains for Caleb to overcome before he could enjoy his land inheritance. He had to overcome and conquer the giants (i.e. the Anakim) that still dwelt in the great and fortified cities located in this area (Joshua 14:12). At 85 years old Caleb embraced overcoming this obstacle and fully believed he could do so by the great power of God.

Caleb is one of my favorite Bible characters. I can’t wait to speak to him in heaven and hear him share with me his great adventures in serving God. He is a great example of a servant of God who continues to serve God eagerly and faithfully even in his old age. He had no intention of resting on his laurels and retiring from his service to the Lord. He told Joshua on this occasion: “As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in” (Joshua 14:11).

I have such great appreciation for my elderly brethren who continue to cling to God’s Promises and faithfully serve God even in older age whether as a preacher, elder, Bible class teacher or the host of other people who do everything from cooking meals for the sick, advising the younger generations, or helping to clean the church building. Sometimes, all they are able to do is simply attend services but they encourage others by their faith (Hebrews 10:24-25). Still others are shut-in and are physically unable to make it out to services, but continue to serve as “prayer warriors” as they lift others up in their prayers.

Take time to encourage your elderly brethren like Caleb who continue to faithfully serve the Lord by clinging to His Promises and by embracing the mountains that lay before them. Today, I will rejoice that God has given me elderly brethren with silver-hair whose faith I may follow!

“The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).

Daily Devo 2/22/13 “Faith To Knock Down Walls”

“So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city” (Joshua 6:20).

After the children of Israel cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land under the new leadership of Joshua, the first city they come to attack is the city of Jericho. The city appears well suited to be defended and to be difficult to destroy because of its huge city walls. The children of Israel do not attack this well seemly well-fortified city with catapults or cannons. Instead, they attack it by their faith in God. They follow exactly what God tells them to do by marching around the city once a day for 6 days. Then on the 7th day they march around the city 7 times, the priests blow the trumpets and the people shout. The walls fall flat!

Israel then took the city. It was a great triumph for Israel. It was won by them placing their faith in God’s power. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30).

As followers of Christ, we all face walls or barriers in our lives that challenge us in our pilgrimage on this earth. The wall we face may be a physical or health problem that challenges us. We may have a broken relationship with another person and we may feel there is a barrier that is separating us from that person. We may be struggling with committing a particular sin over and over again in our lives and feel like we are facing a wall we simply can’t break through to overcome it.

These walls need to be torn down. They are torn down by placing our faith in God and surrendering our will to His Will that He may be glorified. We may not understand how God can tear down this wall or barrier with which we are facing. The challenge is for us to completely place our faith in God and to glorify Him by our actions and let God worry about how He will destroy the wall we are facing.

During His ministry on earth, Jesus had given his disciples the ability to cast out demons (Matthew 10:1). However, on one occasion there was a particular difficult case of demon possession they could not solve. “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’" (Matthew 17:19-21).

I am not advocating that Christians can cast out demons today. However, what the above verses show us is that some “walls” require a lot more faith to tear down. There needs to be some time devoted to prayer and fasting in order to develop the faith to tear down these walls. Are there walls in your life that you need God’s help to tear down? Devote some time to prayer and fasting. Today, I will rejoice that God gives me the faith to tear down walls!

“…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27)

Daily Devo 2/21/13 “A Pep Talk From God”

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them” (Joshua 1:5-6).

These words were spoken by God to Joshua following the death of Moses. One can only imagine the great challenges Joshua must have felt after taking over leadership from such a great godly leader like Moses. He must have felt like he had enormous shoes to fill. God gave Joshua exactly what Joshua needed: encouragement.

As the above verse indicates God promises that as He was with Moses so He would be with Joshua. He would not leave nor forsake Joshua. No one would be able to oppose Joshua. Joshua was not to worry about whether or not God would be with Him. He would. Over and over again God tells Joshua what he was to focus on. Joshua was to focus on “being strong and of good courage” (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9). The tribes of Israel also encouraged Joshua to be “strong and of good courage” (Joshua 1:16-18).

All of us who strive to serve God need encouragement. We need our brethren to encourage us to continue to be “strong and very courageous” to continue to serve the Lord (Hebrews 3:12-13). Most importantly we need encouragement from God Himself. We need a “pep talk from God”. God’s Word is where we find this. In the Bible we read of such encouraging passages as: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12)

In God’s Word we also see how God feels about those who love Him and seek to do His Will: "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16).

Isn’t it encouraging knowing God protects His people and how God feels about those who love Him. God’s Word is filled with such encouragement. This is why studying God’s Word should be a part of every Christian’s daily life. We all need a daily “pep talk from God”. Today, I will rejoice for the encouragement God gives me through His Word!

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust” (Psalm 91:1-2)

Daily Devo 2/20/13 “The Man Whom God Buried”

“…Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day” (Deuteronomy 34:5-6).

The book of Deuteronomy ends with the death of Moses, the great faithful servant of God. Regarding his epitaph the Bible simply says, “But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10). Moses, the great servant of God who through God’s power delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and then endured the 40 years of wilderness wandering with them because of their sin, was finally laid to rest. His earthly journey had ended. Though not entering the physical Promised Land himself, Moses was going to the Heavenly Promised Land which is far better.

As the opening verse above indicates, the Lord buried Moses. I see here the tender love of God here as God lovingly and gently buries this faithful servant of His. Remember how Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35). I see God’s tears falling on the body of Moses as God begins throws the first ounces of dirt upon the dead body of His friend Moses as Moses’ lifeless body lies in the grave.

As Christians, it is important for us to appreciate God’s tender love for us. I am afraid sometimes we forget just how PRECIOUS we are to God. King David said, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You” (Psalm 139:17-18). God’s tender love for us is seen in the fact that He has many “thoughts” about each of us.

Tomorrow my local congregation of the Lord’s church is saying goodbye to a sister of ours who obeyed the gospel later in life. Had she lived her 100th birthday would have been tomorrow. However, she has reached a greater milestone than her 100th birthday. She has reached her Promised Land. She was a sweet sister and she will be missed. Her family and her church family will shed tears at her funeral and at her grave. We need to remember that God also sheds tears and loves her with a tender love. Today, I will rejoice for God’s tender love for me in both my life and my death!

“Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15).

Daily Devo 2/19/13 "Why Doesn't God Give Me More?"

“And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 29:5-6).

Moses speaks the above words to the generation of the children of Israel that had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During this time, with exception of eating quail on a couple of occasions, they had eaten only manna which God had provided from heaven (Exodus 16:4; Joshua 5:12). Their drink was only water. When they had been slaves in Egypt, they had been provided a greater assortment of foods to eat and beverages to drink (Exodus 16:3; Numbers 11:4-6). Many in Israel came to loath the manna which God had provided for them to eat (Numbers 21:5).

This begs the question, “Why did God only give them manna to eat?” As the opening verse indicates, God had provided for the things which were necessary to sustain their physical lives. They were adequately clothed and fed. He didn’t give them an excessive abundance, but he didn’t make it where they had to barely scrape by either. All of this was done that they “may know that I am the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 29:6).

Christ spoke about the need for his followers to develop a child-like faith (Matthew 18:1-3). Most children (i.e. those children who are raised by parents who love them and strive to provide for them) have a complete trust that their parents will provide for their daily food, clothing, and shelter. These children do not generally fret about where they next meal, set of clothing, or roof over their head is going to come from. They “know” that their parents love them and will care for them.

Many of us need to go back to developing a child-like faith in God. As we get older and start earning a living, many times it is very tempting to begin trusting in ourselves or our employer to provide for our daily needs. As difficult as it is, we should rejoice when circumstances happen in our lives that prevent us from having a super abundance of material goods. These financial setbacks, whether it is a lost job or an unexpected large bill we have to pay, help remind us that we need to trust in our Heavenly Father to provide for us. In turn, this helps us to develop that “child-like faith” in God and helps us to “know that the Lord is God”.

There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, but there are many temptations that can come to those who are wealthy (e.g. Matthew 19:23-24; 1 Timothy 6:10). If I am not wealthy I can rejoice that God has spared me of having to face these temptations. Today I will rejoice that God provides for my daily necessities and I will trust in Him that He is the Lord God!”

“Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-- Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:7-9).

Daily Devo 2/18/13 “Taking time to rejoice in God’s fulfilled promises”

“And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, 'I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us’” (Deuteronomy 26:3)

When the Israelites came into the Promised Land, they each were to take in a basket some of the first produce of the land which grew from their individual land inheritances they had received, and bring that to the priest and say the words in the above verse (Deuteronomy 26:1-3). Then the priest would set the basket of produce before the altar of the Lord and the individual Israelite would then recount the history of His people from the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to their deliverance from Egypt, and finally, to their entrance into this land “flowing with milk and honey” (Deuteronomy 26:4-9). The basket of first-fruits they had brought was a symbol that they recognized God had fulfilled His promises to them and they were rejoicing in this fact (Deuteronomy 28:10-11).

They were to take time to recognize the promises that God had fulfilled to them. God was so wise to have His people do this. God understood that it was essential for His people to take time to reflect how He had blessed them and fulfilled the promises He made to them. This would encourage them to grow in their faith in Him and encourage them to remain faithful to Him.

As Christians, sometimes we can get wrapped up so much in the affairs of daily life that we fail to take time to reflect on God’s fulfilled promises to us and how He has blessed us. When this happens, our Christianity becomes nothing more than a set of rules we follow. Our relationship with God suffers and we feel ourselves becoming distant from Him as the joy slowly slips out of our lives and we find ourselves grumbling as we try to serve Him.

Do I take time to reflect on how God has blessed me, answered my prayers, and fulfilled the promises He has made to me? God has saved me from the lost sinner I was through the promise of salvation He kept through the centuries which He fulfilled through Jesus Christ. God has blessed me by sustaining me through this point of my life and seen me through various trials. God has fulfilled numerous prayers which I have made to Him. Today, I will take time to let His joy fill my life as I rejoice in how God has fulfilled His promises to me!

“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice” (Psalm 63:6-7).

Daily Devo 2/17/13 “For You, O God, have heard my vows…”

"When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you” (Deuteronomy 23:21).

How well do people keep the vows which they make? One only has to look at the divorce rate to see that many people do not follow through with the vow they make before God to stay with their mate through the good times and the bad times.

Politicians are notorious for not keeping their promises. Will Rogers said, “If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these acceptance speeches there wouldn't be any inducement to go to heaven.” The actress Shirley MacLaine added, “It is useless to hold a person to anything he says while he is in love, drunk, or running for office.”

Someone has said, “Promises are like babies: easy to make, hard to deliver.” We should be careful about making vows. Abraham Lincoln noted, “We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot”.

The importance of following through with the promises we make is especially true when it comes to making vows to God. How often have I said or thought, “God if you get me through this trial I face I promise that I will ­__________” (fill in the blank). Do I actually follow through with whatever is in the blank or does the blank remain empty because I do not follow through with my vow I made to God? Solomon warned us, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed-- Better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).

On this Lord’s day as I go to worship God, it is a great opportunity for me to reflect on the vows and commitments I have made to God and follow through with them. He has kept all the promises He has made to me. I will strive to keep the promises I have made to Him!

“Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?” (Psalm 56:12-13)

Daily Devo 2/16/12 “...the Lord your God goes with you, to fight...”.

“So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you'” (Deuteronomy 20:2-4).

As Moses continues his farewell address to Israel shortly before they are going to cross the Jordan River to go in and conquer the Promised Land, he gives them instructions regarding conquering the various cities of the Promised Land. It was important for the army of Israel to have good morale. General Dwight David Eisenhower said, “Morale is the greatest single factor in successful wars”.

Provisions were made to allow those who might weaken the morale of the army to be allowed to go home and not fight in the battle. Those who had recently built a house, but had not dedicated it or had recently planted a vineyard, but had not yet eaten of it were allowed to not have to participate in the fight (Deuteronomy 20:5-6). Those who had recently betrothed a wife but had not yet married her were allowed to go home (Deuteronomy 20:7). Even those who were simply fearful and fainthearted were dismissed from the battle (Deuteronomy 20:8).

The army that remained to fight against the cities they faced would not be full of cowards or those who were distracted by the cares of life. Instead, it would be an army of high morale that had confidence that they would be victorious against their enemies because they were not fighting their enemies by their own strength alone. As the opening verse above indicates, the priest reminded the soldiers that God Almighty Himself was leading them into battle!

As Christians we are engaged in a spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). We face hardships as soldiers of Christ as we are persecuted for standing up for God and His Word (2 Timothy 2:3-4). It is important for us to be properly equipped with the provisions God has given to us (Ephesians 6:10-18). But, above all it is essential that we have outstanding morale in the army of God as we look to God as the One who leads us into battle and fights our battles with us and saves us. Today, I will praise God and remember He leads me into battle!

“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle-- My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge…” (Psalm 144:1-2).

Daily Devo 2/15/13 "Remembering Where I Came From"

“And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes” (Deuteronomy 16:12).

Moses instructs the next generation of the children of Israel about keeping the various feast which God had commanded them to observe (Deuteronomy 16:1-17). As the above verse indicates, in the middle of this instruction, Moses gives them the reason God wanted them to remember these various feasts: God wanted them to remember from where they had come. They had been slaves in Egypt!

English novelist Anthony Burgess said, “It’s always good to remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember where you come from is part of where you’re going”. One of the keys to living a wholesome life is keeping a proper perspective on one’s self. We see people some people who become very wealthy, very popular, or very successful in their particular fields of endeavor forget where they had come from and their lives spin out of control. One of the best ways to keep a proper perspective of yourself is to remember from where you have come. This helps to keep us humble.

For those of us who have been Christians for a long time, it is easy for us to forget from where we came. We can begin to lose our humility and start to look down on those around us and say, “Why do these people around me do all these terrible things to each other? Why do they live such wicked lives?” The answer is simple: The world around us is living the way we used to before we got to know Christ!

As Christians, we came from being slaves of sin (John 8:34). Satan had a hold on our hearts and minds. He lured us into temptations by getting us to live life based on fulfilling all of our desires and various lusts (James 1:13-15). Sin dominated our lives and we lived as slaves in service to Satan. Spiritually, we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).

As a Christian, I celebrate that God reached out to me in my sin and gave me the opportunity to know Him and His Son Jesus and set me free from the bondage of sin (John 8:32). Today, I will remember where I came from and where I am going!

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

Daily Devo 2/14/13 “So open minded that your brains fall out?”

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise’” (Deuteronomy 12:29-30).

As Moses continues to speak to the children of Israel about their future in the Promised Land, he warns them to be sure to destroy all the idols and all the remnants of idol worship in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 12:1-3). God said, “You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things” (Deuteronomy 12:4). Instead they were to worship God in the way He had prescribed and at the location He had commanded (Deuteronomy 12:5-31). He ends the chapter by saying, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

As the opening verse above indicates, God warns them to “take heed” that they do not become “ensnared” to follow after the nations from whom they were conquering the Promised Land to serve their gods. God was concerned that His people would be tempted to go astray from Him in their hearts and begin worshipping the same gods the nations around them did. In fact, when one looks at the history of Israel, this is exactly what happened. It all began because Israel failed to heed this warning of God. They began to “inquire” about how the nations around them “served” their gods and they did likewise (Judges 2:10-13). Their troubles began because they were “open-minded” about idol worship.

G.K. Chesterton said, “Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.” Many times we give into temptations because we first “inquire” about it. We let ourselves be “open-minded” about the particular temptation. For example, Eve was willing to “inquire” about whether or not she should partake of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3). A person does not become an alcoholic until they are first “open-minded” about imbibing that first drink. A man doesn’t commit adultery until he is willing to at least “consider” forsaking his marital vows.

As Christians, we are not to be “open-minded” about temptation. We are commanded to “flee” temptation (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; 2 Timothy 2:22). We have our perfect example in Jesus our Savior of not being open-minded about temptations. When Satan tempted Jesus by saying he would give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would fall down and worship him, Jesus said, “"Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "(Matthew 4:10). Jesus wasn’t “open-minded” about temptation.

Today, I will strive to guard my heart and mind from Satan and not inquire about or be open-minded about temptation. I will not be so open-minded that my brains fall out!

“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11)

Daily Devo 2/13/13

“Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Deuteronomy 9:6).

Moses believed in telling it like it is. He reminds the children of Israel that God was not giving them the Promised Land because they were such a good people and deserved it. Their righteousness certainly didn’t “measure up”. He calls them a “stiff-necked people”. He then goes on to remind the Israelites of their great failure when while he, Moses, was up on Mt. Sinai receiving the law, they were down at the base of the mountain worshipping the golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:7-21).

Moses was not telling them these things to lay some kind of a “guilt trip” on them. He was simply helping them to understand their own weaknesses and how easy it had been for them to forsake God in the past. As he continues to speak to them, He reminds them that God loves them in spite of their weaknesses: “The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 10:15). Moses then encourages them to strive to keep their hearts soft towards God even though they have a tendency to struggle with being “stiff-necked”: “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer” (Deuteronomy 10:16).

Today, our society seems so concerned with everyone having a “positive self-image” that we are afraid to take an honest inventory of ourselves. It is good to have a healthy self-esteem. However, are afraid to look inward and see that often we do struggle with evil thoughts or that we at other times act out in rebellion towards God and His Word? I am concerned that sometimes we are afraid to call our evil actions “sin”. Instead, we cover them up with euphemisms such as saying we made a “mistake” or we “fell short”.

God is not afraid to say we have sinned! All of us have (Romans 3:23). Actually, there is something liberating when I acknowledge that I do struggle with sin. Certainly at different times in my Christian life I have felt a desire to rebel against God. I have been “stiff-necked”!

This does not condone my sin. I am not encouraging us to be “stiff-necked”. I am only encouraging us to take an honest inventory of ourselves. As we do so we must remember the important truth, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God loves me anyway! God understands I am not justified by my own righteousness. My own righteousness looks like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). I am justified by Christ. Praise God that God is able to save a stiff-necked soul like me through His precious Son Jesus Christ!

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9).

Daily Devo 2/12/13

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

As Moses continues his farewell speech to those of the children of Israel who are about to enter the Promised Land, he reminds them of the importance of their loving God with all their being. Moses was concerned that once they entered the Promised Land, the children of Israel would forget it was God who brought them there (Deuteronomy 6:12), that they would no longer fear God (Deuteronomy 6:13), and that they hearts would be led astray and begin going after the gods of the nations they had conquered (Deuteronomy 6:14). Sadly, when one studies the history of God’s people following the conquering of the Promised Land, this is exactly what happened. They went astray from God.

Although future generations of the children of Israel failed to heed this message of Moses, there are some important insights for us to glean here. God’s people were to make a FOCUSED EFFORT to LOVE GOD. After Moses tells them to love God with all their being (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), notice what he instructs them to do: He says, “"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). He adds that they were to put God’s Word’s on the clothing they wore (i.e. “bind them as a sign on your hand”, “frontlets between your eyes”, Deuteronomy 6:8) and they were to write them around their houses (i.e. “doorposts” and “gates”, Deuteronomy 6:9).

We should not view this as just some ritualistic exercise that God wanted them to perform. The picture we should take away from this is they were to be continually expressing the love they had for God by speaking of Him throughout the day and having His Word’s all around them as reminders of His love for them. God wanted all this to be done for the future welfare of His people: “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 6:18).

As Christians, Jesus tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Again, Jesus doesn’t tell us this as some kind of a ritualistic exercise or an attempt to “earn our salvation”. He loves us so much He gave His life for us (John 3:16). Jesus knows that if we want to have a great relationship with Him it involves not only Him showing love for us, but our showing love for Him! We do this by keeping His commandments which are for our own welfare.

As with the children of Israel of old, so it is with us today: It takes a focused effort on our parts to love God. There are many things which distract us from loving God and which compete for our love. This is why it is important for us to study God’s Word daily and for us to speak of our love for God and how He has blessed us throughout each day of our lives. Sharing the good news of Christ not only benefits those lost souls we are trying to reach for Christ, but it also benefits us by helping us to keep our minds focused on God’s love. Today, I will celebrate God’s great love for me and focus my mind on showing my love for God by striving to keep His commandments!

“I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life” (Psalm 119:93)

2/11/13

“But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: 'Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter’” (Deuteronomy 3:25).

As Moses recounts to the Israelites their history since they left Egyptian bondage and the various wilderness wanderings of their forefathers, he reminds them of the incident which he committed which will keep himself from entering the Promised Land. Following the Israelites once again complaining of no water to drink, God told Moses to SPEAK to the rock and the rock would bring forth water (Numbers 20:1-8). Instead, in his anger towards God’s people Moses STRUCK the rock and instead of glorifying God, he and his brother Aaron, directed glory to themselves by saying to the people, “Hear now, you rebels! Must WE bring water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10) God's judgment on Moses for failing to give God glory in this matter was that Moses would not be allowed to lead God’s people to the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12).

God forgave Moses of this sin. God still loved Moses and appreciated his service to Him. However, Moses would still have to bear the consequences of his sin by not be allowed to lead God’s people into the Promised Land. Moses had difficulty in accepting God’s answer regarding the consequences of his Moses’ sin. Moses says he pleaded with God saying, “I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:24). In His response to Moses, God says, “Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter” (Deuteronomy 3;25).

Sometimes God says “No” in answer to our prayer request. For example, He told Paul that he would not remove the thorn in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-8). In His response to Paul the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My Strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God even told his own Son Jesus, “No” in answer to Jesus’ request that the cup of suffering might pass from Him and that He would not have to experience the suffering of the cross (Matthew 26:36-46). God knew there was no way to save the world from sin without the death of His only Son to satisfy the justice of God (John 3:16).

Do you have difficulty in accepting when God apparently says, “No” to your prayer request? At times,  I do. But I have to remember that God has His own reasons for saying, “No” to my prayer request. He may say “No” because what I am praying for may not be what is best for me. He may say, “No” to give me an opportunity to rely more on His grace and His strength. He may say, “No” to give me an opportunity to glorify Him by my life as a go through a particular trial.

I can either fight God when He says “No” to me or I can embrace God’s answer of “No” to my prayer request and accept and trust that God’s reasons for saying “No” to me are far above my ability to comprehend. Part of living the life of faith in God is learning to accept His answer of “No”. Today, I will strive to learn to accept when God says “No” to me. I am thankful that I serve a God who understands so much more than I do!

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Daily Devo 2/10/13

“And the Lord spoke to me, saying: 'You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward’” (Deuteronomy 2:2-3).

Moses is recounting to the next generation of the children of Israel the events of the past 40 years of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. As he begins, Moses mentions what God had told their forefathers. Moses says, "The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: 'You have dwelt long enough at this mountain’” (Deuteronomy 1:6). It was time for them to leave the comfort of Mount Horeb and journey to the Promised Land.

As he moves along with his farewell speech to this next generation, Moses reminds them of the failures of their forefathers and their lack of faith in God. He particularly points out the failure following the spies bad report following their spying of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:19-46). As a result of this failure their punishment was to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Now as Moses continues his farewell speech, he mentions what the Lord told the current generation of Israelites at the end of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. God says the time for wandering was over. Now it is time to go and conquer the Promised land. The Lord say, “turn northward” (Deuteronomy 2:3)!

Do you ever feel like your wandering in a spiritual wilderness? I know at times I do. It is easy to get stuck in a spiritual rut. This is why were are admonished, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth’ (Colossians 3:1-2).

As Christians, it is important for us to “turn northward” and be about the work and mission that God has set before us and not fall into the trap of wandering in the wilderness. Today, I will celebrate God’s guidance and direction in my life and “turn northward” and be about doing His Work. Have a blessed day in service to Christ!

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Daily Devo 2/9/13

“These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there” (Numbers 35:15).

As God gives commands to the children of Israel regarding the inheritance to be divided, He commands that 6 cities be set up as “cities of refuge” where someone who had accidently killed someone else (i.e. a manslayer) could flee until justice could be determined (Numbers 35:9-12). While God did command that those who were guilty of murder would have to make atonement by the shedding of their own blood as they were to be put to death (Numbers 35:30-34), God did not want innocent blood to be shed in the Promised Land. He did not want the relative of the person who had accidently been killed (i.e. the avenger of blood) to act hastily and kill the manslayer before proper judgment could be determined (Numbers 35:22-24). If it was determined that the person killed another by accident then that person would have to remain in the city of refuge till the death of the high priest at which time he could return to his own land (Numbers 35:25, 28). If that person went outside the city of refuge before this, the avenger of blood could put him to death without being guilty (Number 35:26-28).

It is interesting that these cities are described as “cities of REFUGE”. Webster’s defines “refuge” as a “shelter or protection from danger or distress”. The manslayer was to flee to one of these 6 refuge cities for shelter and protection. Today, we think of refugees fleeing a war zone looking for shelter and protection from the danger and distress of war.

For the follower of Christ, God is described throughout the Scriptures as our “Refuge”. Life can beat us up at times. Sometimes we get scared at the circumstances we face. Notice how King David felt in his distress, “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed” (Psalm 143:3-4). However, in this same Psalm David took time to remember that God was his Refuge, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land” (Psalm 143:5-6).

It is comforting to know that God is there to provide us with shelter and protection. When we feel scared, anxious, and concerned about the challenges and trials that lay before us, it is important for us to remember His Presence. Today, I will celebrate that God is my Refuge!

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Daily Devo 2/8/13

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Command the children of Israel, and say to them, “My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time”’” (Numbers 28:1-2).

In chapters 28-29 of the book of Numbers God gives detailed instructions of how he wanted the Israelites to worship Him and when He wanted such worship to occur. There were daily offerings to be made, special sacrifices for each Sabbath day, prescribed manners of worship at the beginning of each month and certain feasts such as the Passover, the celebration of first-fruits, the holy convocation of the blowing of Trumpets, and the Feast of Tabernacles that were to be observed as worship unto God (Numbers 28:1-29:40).

Israel was to be “careful” to worship God at these appointed times. When they did this and worshipped God the way He prescribed, God says this was like a “sweet aroma” to Him.

Today, many worship God the way they want. They add all kinds of things to how God has prescribed in the New Testament how He wants to be worshipped. Those who do this want to make worship “more exciting” or so that they can “get more out of worship”. The basic problem is that it takes the focus of where our worship is to be directed. It is to be directed towards God and pleasing Him, not on pleasing ourselves.

I have been married for over 24 years now. I have learned that I need to love my wife the way she wants to be loved. I used to spend a lot of time trying to show her love by DOING things for her or BUYING things for her. Yet, he she did not feel loved by these actions of mine. She wanted me to show her love by simply LISTENING to her and TALKING with her. I have learned and am still learning over the course of these 24 years to love her the way she wants to be loved.

The same is true regarding our worship to God. We are not to worship to God in the way we want, but rather in the way He wants. When we worship God the way He has prescribed He views this as a “sweet aroma”. Isn’t that wonderful! I know my sin stinks. But, as I worship God the way, He has directed I am able to give to God something that He enjoys. He describes it as a “sweet aroma”. I will worship God as He wants so that my worship may please Him!

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand…” (Psalm 95:6-7).

Daily Devo 2/7/13

“Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel” (Numbers 25:1-3)

To gain a better understanding of why Israel did this one needs to look at the rest of the Bible and what it says about the prophet Balaam whom Balek, king of Moab, had hired to curse God’s people. While with Balek, God had insisted that Balaam only speak the words God instructed to him (Numbers 22:35). As a result, Balaam blessed God’s people instead of cursing them (Numbers 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:3-9, 17-24). Balaam then departs from Balak (Numbers 24:25). From reading these chapters 22-24 of the book of Numbers one might think this is all there was to the story. However, the rest of the Scriptures shed great light on Balaam’s motives and actions.

Balak had promised Balaam great wealth (Numbers 22:15-17). Balaam was willing to curse God’s people because he was motivated by greed (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11). Furthermore, it was Balaam who “taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14). The reason Israel committed harlotry with the women of Moab (Numbers 25:1) was because Balaam counseled him to do this. Balaam was unable to curse God’s people himself, but he taught Balak how to get God’s people to bring trouble upon themselves by falling into sin.

Balaam DID a lot of things which appear to be right. He did speak God’s Word to Balak. Time and time again, he pronounced God’s blessings upon Israel and refused to curse God’s people as Balak had wanted. He told Balak, "Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak" (Numbers 23:38). He also told the king of Moab, “…Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his!" (Numbers 24:10)

Appearances can be deceiving. While Balaam appeared to DO and SAY the right things, these actions came from an evil heart motivated by greed (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11). In an efforts to get financial gain he finally counsels Balak to get God’s people to curse themselves by engaging in harlotry (Revelations 2:14; Numbers 25:1-3).

As I consider this, I am reminded I can DO and SAY many things which appear to be right. But if my motivation for doing these things is evil (e.g. hate instead of love, pride instead of humility, greed instead of sacrifice, etc.), then although my actions may appear right, they are wrong in the eyes of God. God knows my heart.

On the other hand, I may be struggling with a trial or a sin. I may fail time and time again. Each time I fail, I may reach up and grab God’s hand and ask for His help to continue. Those around me may just see my failure and think I am not really trying to serve God. But God knows my heart. Today, I will live striving to serve God out of a pure heart. Have a blessed day!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).