Category: Deuteronomy

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Like A Child

I love it when the Lord uses my grandchildren to remind me of His faithfulness.

Our grandson had his tonsils and adenoids removed on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, I woke to find a message from his younger sister. It read: “Please prey for Sam he don’t feel good”.

It made me chuckle, I stopped and prayed. I felt blessed to know that my grandchildren, younger and older, know that they can ask me to pray for them when there are things in life that don’t make them feel so good.

“Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this. 16 But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, ‘Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. 17 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.‘” Luke 18:15-17 ERV

What a blessing – childlike faith!

Children have a simple faith. They trust us because they know we love them and we wouldn’t intentionally let anything harm them. We teach them about Jesus so they can trust His love and know that they are never alone. Their first response becomes we need to pray.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:7-11 NLT

Our heavenly Father is much more faithful in providing for us and our children than we will ever be. I recently found this quote on teaching our children (and grandchildren) to pray. “Teaching children to pray is a wonderful way to introduce them to a lifelong conversation with God.”

“Remember these commands I give you. Keep them in your hearts. Write them down… 19 Teach these laws to your children. Talk about these things when you sit in your houses, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. 20 Write these commands on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. 21 Then both you and your children will live a long time in the land that the Lord promised to give to your ancestors. You will live there as long as the skies are above the earth.

22 “Be careful to obey every command I have told you to follow: Love the Lord your God, follow all his ways, and be faithful to him.” Deuteronomy 11:18-22 ERV

Childlike faith.

If God makes a promise, He will not lie! We can trust Him. Now that’s something to be thankful for!!

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Basket of Blessings

Thanking the Father for his love and protection today.

If you drive safely to work and home each day, be thankful. If your children arrive home from school each day be thankful. If you have enough money in your purse for groceries, be thankful. If your house is warm and your clothes are adequate, be thankful!

The cornucopia is also called a horn of plenty. It was a basket filled with the richness of the harvest. It was a reminder of the blessings of the year. I used to have one on my dining table every year, it reminded me to be thankful for so many things.

Living in a tiny house there is no dining table and no horn of plenty, but the gratitude is greater than ever. So much to be thankful for, so many blessings. This is the 14th day of November, I hope you have been adding something each day to the list of things you are grateful for.

Here are a few things from Scripture that you can add to the list:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever. 2 Let Israel say, “His loving-kindness lasts forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving-kindness lasts forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His loving-kindness lasts forever.”

5 I cried to the Lord in my trouble, and He answered me and put me in a good place. 6 The Lord is with me. I will not be afraid of what man can do to me. 7 The Lord is with me. He is my Helper. I will watch those lose who fight against me. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in rulers.” Psalm 118:1-9 NLV

Build a basket of blessings.

“ You must take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you gather from the land the Lord your God gives you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to have His name.” Deuteronomy 26:2 NLV

A blessing basket can be filled with notes of times you know the Lord provided and protected. It can have pictures of those you love and special memories of when you felt the love and goodness of God in your life and to your family.

Share the notes and memories around your table.

“I pray that you will be giving thanks to the Father. He has made it so you could share the good things given to those who belong to Christ who are in the light. 13 God took us out of a life of darkness. He has put us in the holy nation of His much-loved Son.” Colossians 1:12-13 NLV

“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart. I will tell of all the great things You have done. 2 I will be glad and full of joy because of You. I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2 NLV

Blessed to be a blessing! May your basket of blessings be full and overflowing!

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Blessed Wherever You Are

Our lives are blessed by the Lord so that we can be a blessing wherever we are. Blessed to be a blessing!

I was thinking about Barnabus. His name was Jonas, but he was renamed by the apostles.

“And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement),” Act4:36 NKJV

Barnabus was the one who brought Saul, later named Paul, to the apostles after his conversion on the road to Damacus. He was Paul’s traveling partner on some of his missionary journeys. He was blessed with a gift to encourage and he used that gift to bless others.

We might not all be blessed with the gifts of prophecy, miracles, words of wisdom or words of knowledge but we are all blessed to be a blessing to others.

“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

9 “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you]heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” Deuteronomy 28:1-4 NKJV

The Lord blesses us so the world will see that we are called to be His. We share, we love, we encourage because He does that for us!

In the city, in the fields, coming in and going out we are blessed. Encourage others with the goodness of God!

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Tie It Together

Some years back I was doing a one-on-one Bible Study with a friend and she asked, “How does the Old Testament tie in with the New Testament, making it practical for today?”.

Yes, she knew that the Old Testament was filled with prophetic teachings about the birth of Christ, His crucifixion and the end times but she was missing the day-to-day applications for her life.

I think that is quite common so let me take a few minutes with you this morning to go through that.

I’m sure that most of you know the story of Abraham. He was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. The Lord told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and that his descendants would be more numerous than the sand on the seashore. Abraham was the father of the nation of Israel but we, who follow Christ, are also his descendants.

God’s word is filled with blessings for all of us. The Old Testament is filled with rich and wonderful promises from God to His people. The New Testament tells us that when we are in Christ, the blessings made to Abraham and those in the Old Testament are available to us as well.

“Because of what Jesus Christ did, the blessing God promised to Abraham was given to all people. Christ died so that by believing in him we could have the Spirit that God promised… Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. 29 You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s descendants. You get all of God’s blessings because of the promise that God made to Abraham.” Galatians 3: 14, 28 & 29 ERV

God’s blessings are for our whole life – spiritually, physically and emotionally. His blessings bring wholeness. The blessings the Lord gave to Abraham were perpetual, they continued through the generations. Moses repeated them to the Israelites before they occupied the Promised Land.

” So remember that the LORD your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations, 10 but the LORD punishes people who hate him. He will destroy them. He will not be slow to punish those who hate him. 11 So you must be careful to obey the commands, laws, and rules that I give you today.

12 “If you listen to these laws, and if you are careful to obey them, the LORD your God will keep his agreement of love with you. He promised this to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you. He will make your nation grow. He will bless your children. He will bless your fields with good crops and will give you grain, new wine, and oil. He will bless your cows with calves and your sheep with lambs. You will have all these blessings in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you.

14 “You will be blessed more than all people. Every husband and wife will be able to have children. Your cows will be able to have calves. 15 The LORD will take away all sickness from you and he will not let you catch any of the terrible diseases that you had in Egypt” Deuteronomy 7:9-15 ERV

When God first chose a people, Abraham’s descendants, to be His own, He blessed them in every area of their lives. Those blessings of the Old Testament are still valid for us today. But a greater blessing is ours as well. We have been made right with God through the sacrifice of Christ.

“… the new agreement that Jesus brought from God to his people is much greater than the old one. And the new agreement is based on better promises.” Hebrews 8:6 ERV

The Lord’s promises are still valid. He does not lie. Walk in His blessing today!

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Do Your Best

Do your best!

Have you ever said that to your kids, a friend, your spouse or even encouraged yourself to “do your best”? I know you have.

Each time we do something we should be doing our best – even if it’s washing the dishes, cleaning house, working in the garden, preparing a meal and it goes without saying that we should be doing our jobs to the best of our ability.

And what if you were God?

Do you think that He does anything less than His best? I found myself praying that this morning, “Father, do your best.” In praying for my kids and grandkids, my friends and relatives, I don’t always know the details of what they need and so this morning I was just praying that the Father would do His best in their lives today.

I hope that’s ok with you. Some of you need healing, some financial blessing, some need joy, others need rest, some need encouragement while others need a project (to feel helpful). Some need to be free from bitterness, others free from guilt. Some just need a hug and to hear I love you.

So again my prayer is “Father, do your best”. And then I was reminded of these verses – it’s the Father doing His best!

“If you will obey the Lord your God, all these blessings will come to you and be yours:

3 ‘He will bless you in the city and in the field. 4 He will bless you and give you many children. He will bless your land and give you good crops. He will bless your animals and let them have many babies. He will bless you with calves and lambs.

5 He will bless your baskets and pans and fill them with food. 6 He will bless you at all times in everything you do.

7 The Lord will help you defeat your enemies who come to fight against you. Your enemies will come against you one way, but they will run away from you seven different ways! 8 The Lord will bless you and fill your barns. He will bless everything you do. The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving you. 9 If you follow the Lord your God and obey his commands, he will do what he promised. ‘” Deuteronomy 28:1-9 ERV

Thank you, Father, for blessing my friends with Your best today!

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Don’t Be Deceived

Last night as we were going to bed, I told Dave I’m really going to enjoy sleeping in tomorrow. He just smiled.

He knows me. He knows I don’t sleep in and if I do, it’s only until about 5. So, imagine my delight when I woke up this morning and looked at my watch; it said 5:56. Yes, wow! Thank you, Jesus, it was almost 6 a.m.

I laid there a minute, and I could hear the coffee pot – it was popping as if moisture had gotten between the pot and the warming plate. I slipped quietly out of bed, came to the living room and kitchen. No coffee! I took a second look at my watch, it was not 5:56 it was 3:56. The popping I heard was raindrops slowly plopping on the metal awning, not the coffee.

I was deceived.

I started the coffee, grabbed my fleece blanket and Bible and sat. Afterall, I was awake, no going back to bed now. It was then my thoughts went to a little wooden plaque I had ordered for my office just a few days ago.

“A Lot Can Happen in 3 Days”. I love it!

Sometimes the circumstances of life deceive us into thinking something other than what is true!

Adam and Eve were deceived. Joseph’s brothers were deceived in thinking he was their competition instead of their rescuer. The Babylonian king was deceived in thinking that a fiery furnace could stop the three Hebrews from worshipping God. A group of jealous governors were deceived in thinking a den of lions could stop Daniel. A giant was deceived when he thought his might and brawn could stop a shepherd boy with 5 stones who trusted God.

Peter was deceived when he thought a storm at sea could negate what Jesus said about going to the other side. The disciples were deceived when they thought 5 loaves and 2 small fish weren’t enough to feed a multitude.

And they were all deceived – the religious rulers, the Roman soldiers, the disciples, the demons in hell – when they thought a cross and a grave would stop Jesus!

A lot can happen in 3 days!

“ He says, ‘Be careful! Don’t be fooled. Don’t turn away from me to serve other gods and to bow down to them.’ ” Deuteronomy 11:16 ERV

Don’t be deceived or fooled by circumstances. Things aren’t always as they appear. Avoid making snap judgements. Let God control your thoughts with His peace. Don’t let circumstances sway you from believing God’s promises.

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

In those times when you are tempted to worry. Don’t! Stand strong, wait for God’s peace to be your guide.

“ Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

God’s timetable is different than ours but that doesn’t mean He is late. Trust Him. A Lot Can Happen in 3 Days!

And now I think I may go back to bed.

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Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, this wonderful trip has come to an end.

We pack up this morning, drive back to Jacksonville, turn in the rental car and board a plane, headed for home. One stop over in Dallas and arrive in Phoenix later today. It’s been fun and exciting – but home is sweet.

That’s my day. What’s yours got in store? Whatever it is the Lord has designed a path and is waiting for us to follow Him.

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMPC

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass.
You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3 and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.” Psalm 23:1-3 CEV

“ If you will obey the Lord your God, all these blessings will come to you and be yours:

3 “He will bless you in the city and in the field…6 He will bless you at all times in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 28:2-6 ERV

I am praying for your day to be filled with the blessings of the Lord. That’s the kind of day He has designed for us.

I’ll be with you tomorrow from my living room in Queen Valley.

Enjoy the blessings of the day!

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Oh My Goodness

When I was a girl I got to watch Shirley Temple movies on television. They were such fun and the story lines were always wholesome. I remember hearing her voice her surprise or excitement with the phrase “Oh my goodness”. This was followed by the cutest expression on her face and twinkle in her eyes.

I think God would like to hear us use that expression a little more often.

Oh my – goodness!

We need to be more mindful of the goodness of God in our lives.

The beauty of the sunset, the coolness of the breeze, flowers in bloom, the majesty of a waterfall. Nature points to the eternal goodness of God. His goodness can also be seen in the touch of a friend’s hand, reassuring us that things will be ok, a miraculous recovery or divine intervention in a dangerous situation.

Oh my – The goodness of God.

“ Don’t be fooled, my dear friends. 17 Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. 18 He wanted us to be his own special people, and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.” James 1:16-18 CEV

Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. We are His children, and He provides for us. Long before these words were written by James, Moses gave this instruction to the Israelites while they were still in the desert.

“He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! 10 And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him. 11 Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” Deuteronomy 26:9-11a NLT

God is a giver of good things. Jesus told us this about the Father’s heart.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:9-11 NLT

Then Jesus said this about himself.

“I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture.10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully. 11  I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.” John 10:9-11 CEV

God, the Father, wants to be involved in every facet of our lives – spirit, soul and body. He wants us to receive His gift of eternal life. He gives us peace and He provides for us as His children.

Oh my! The goodness of God!!

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Good Courage

None of us know what this year of 2025 has in store. There will be challenges, I’m sure of that. There will also be great blessings, I am also sure of that.

“ Praise the Lord because he is good! His faithful love will last forever!” Psalm 118:1 ERV

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.” Psalm 118:1 CEV

Same verse, different translations but the meaning is clear. We are to be thankful because God is always good; His love lasts forever.

So many times throughout the Bible God gives this instruction. Fear not – and it’s often followed by these words, “Be of good courage”.

Good courage. This is courage in God’s ability and not in our own. When we are trusting in His goodness we can face any situation with courage. This is the instruction Joshua received from Moses shortly before Moses died. Joshua had been selected as his successor in leading the Israelites into the promised land.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.” Deuteronomy 31:6-7 NKJV

Be strong – in faith. Knowing God’s word gives us that strength. We can trust Him, knowing He will keep His word. God doesn’t lie.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV (written by Moses)

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV (written by King David)

Both of these men faced some of life’s biggest obstacles and greatest challenges. God promised them His goodness and His strength. The promise made in Deuteronomy is used in Hebrews also.

“ Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you or let you be alone.” Hebrews 13:5 NLV

We have a tendency to look at the financial economy of our lives instead of the spiritual. The writer of Hebrews wanted us to see that instead of putting our confidence in money we should be placing it in the One who has promised to never leave us or abandon us.

“ Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 7:31-33 CEV

Now that’s good courage!

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Friendship

This morning, I started reading in I John again. John was one of Jesus closest friends. John had been with Him from the beginning, and it was John that was standing with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of His cross. He loved Jesus.

In the first few verses of this letter John reveals his purpose for writing it.

“We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so that you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing to tell you these things, because this makes us truly happy.” I John 1:3-4 CEV

That’s how I feel each morning when I share my thoughts with you. I write this so that you will be truly happy. The joy found in friendship/relationship with Jesus is indescribable, complete and will sustain us even in the toughest times.

Jesus is the one who invested in us; He’s the one who developed the friendship.

” I no longer call you servants, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. But now I call you friends, because I have told you everything that my Father told me.” John 15:15 ERV

Maybe it’s been a while since you just sat and shared your morning coffee with Him or talked through things that are on your heart but He’s there waiting. Take Him with you on your camping trip, your next ride or hike; let Him go with you wherever that may be.

“ Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 CEV

Jesus wants to be involved in our everyday life. He met people in their routine and made life better.

“Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by the life of his Son. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” Romans 5:9-10 CEV

Friendship with the Lord is definitely worth cultivating.

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