Category: Deuteronomy

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Making Good Choices

Yesterday I spent a lot of time talking about making good choices. It’s a lesson we all deal with on a daily basis.

We can’t force people to make good choices. It has to be a decision of the heart.

Our day is filled with choices. Do we rise early or over sleep? Do we eat a good breakfast or skip it entirely? Do we speed down the highway or stay within the limits of the law? Are we intolerant and lose our temper or patient and self-controlled? All are choices we make and we can blame no one for the consequences – we are responsible.

Moses had led over a million people through the desert for forty years and at the end of his life he gave them this instruction:

“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy…19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:15-19 NLT

I know it seems elementary, almost remedial, but making right choices is a real sign of maturity. Life – death, blessing – curses, (here’a clue, right answer, choose life) Choosing to forgive, letting kindness be our guide, saying no to indulgences that bring pleasure for a moment but devastating consequences for weeks and years to come takes maturity.

One of the greatest gifts the Lord has given us is free will, the ability to make our own choices. We aren’t puppets or robots, we have the ability to think wisely and make proper decisions.

Have you ever been outside on a very dark night, in unfamiliar territory? We experience that alot when we go camping. The right choice in situations like that is to grab a flashlight. It has kept me from tripping over logs or getting off the path and stepping into a hole on numerous occasions. I could just stumble along, that would be my choice, however it wouldn’t be a good one.

When we need guidance and wisdom, which we all do, we have this promise from the Lord.

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps,  a light that shows the path I should take.
106 Your laws are good and fair. I have promised to obey them, and I will keep my promise.” Psalm 119:105-106 ERV

Before you make a choice today, consider the consequences and then ask God for wisdom. He’ll be glad to give it.

“If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.” James 1:5 NLV

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Good Work

I’ll be the first to admit that I will never be a hand model. My fingers are fat, my nails are weak and short and my skin is scarred and wrinkled. When I was much younger I had a friend tell me that I had earthy hands. I took that as a compliment.

Just yesterday I was planting flowers, sweeping the porch, scrubbing sinks, searching the net and scraping paint from window trim. And with every action I knew I was blessed.

I remember my father’s hands. He was a heavy equipment operator and mechanic, a master mechanic. His hands were always stained from grease and oil and his knuckles were frequently scabbed over and occasionally his fingers were broken from one thing or another that happened at work.

By contrast l saw the hands of my hair stylist yesterday. Her hands were smooth and well manicured. Her nails were polished with a most attractive shade. I commented on how pretty they were.

When I focus my attention on my hands or the hands of others I am reminded of an instruction that Moses gave to the children of Israel.

“All these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God. 3 Good will come to you in the city, and good will come to you in the country. 4 Good will come to your children, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your animals. Your cattle and flock will have many young ones. 5 Good will come to your basket and your bread pan. 6 Good will come to you when you come in, and when you go out.

7 “The Lord will cause you to win the battles against those who fight against you. They will come against you one way, and run away from you seven ways. 8 The Lord will send good upon you in your store-houses and in all your work. He will bring good to you in the land the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 28:2-6 NLV

If we obey the Lord we will be blessed whether we live in the city or the country. Since they were an agrarian society Moses told them that their activities in the field and in raising their animals would be blessed. If he were writing this today I know he would include the same blessing for those who work behind a desk or at a computer terminal, in hospitals, at schools, restaurants, etc.

In one translation these verses say “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand”.

Take a look at your hands. Study them. Now, put them to work and thank the Lord that they are blessed.

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A Godly Heritage

My mother celebrated her ninety-seventh birthday yesterday! Yes, that is correct – 97. We had the joy of being with her, my sister, brother-in-law, niece, daughter and son-in-law as we celebrated her life. A few close friends dropped by to say hello and to wish her well. For the past few weeks her mailbox was filled with cards from friends, family and acquaintances. As of yesterday the total birthday cards received came to 110. She was overwhelmed by the expressions of love.

Mom talks a lot about leaving this earth and going home to heaven. It’s something she is looking forward too with much joy. She feels she’s been here long enough and is awaiting her departure with great anticipation. But while she’s here she continues to pray for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren on a daily basis.

She tells her friends and the few people she is still able to interact with about her love for Jesus and how good God is. She always tries to have some sort of devotional book on hand to give to someone who needs to know about Jesus.

I know how blessed I am to have such a godly heritage. She and my dad both loved the Lord and brought my brother, sister and I up to love Him too.

“Remember these commands I give you. Keep them in your hearts. Write them down and tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads as a way to remember my laws. 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.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21 ERV

At this point, each time we say good-bye and leave we understand that it may be the last time we see Mom alive on this earth. It is a bitter-sweet experience. Mom says we are to have a party and not be sad because she will finally be home. My daughter text me yesterday after she left and said “the good-byes are so hard”. To which I replied “Then just tell her ‘see you later’ because you know she’ll be waiting to see you when you get to heaven”.

Mom never had great monetary riches, she never had a plaque or monument placed in her honor, she never traveled world-wide or excelled to great heights – not by the world’s standards. However, her life has been filled to overflowing. Her home was always open, her table fed whoever was hungry, she shared love and friendship and loved the Lord.

A life well lived! I am very blessed to have such a godly heritage. As Mom said yesterday “I never knew so many people were watching what I did and that it effected them the way it did”.

That’s true. We don’t know whose watching so let’s live each day in a way that can change lives and point people to Jesus.

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Celebrate Life!

There is a word used in Jewish toasts – L’Chaim! Lifting a glass of wine to celebrate an engagement or marriage, the birth of a child and everyone says L’Chaim. To Life!

Each day we should be doing the same. We should be toasting the life that God has given us. Celebrating life and His goodness. A life of thankfulness and faith.

L’Chaim!

The just shall live by faith. Faith isn’t just something we have when we can’t handle things on our own, it’s a way of life.

Faith is what pleases God and God is the one who has given us the faith that we need to please Him – pretty good right? God doesn’t leave us unprepared or without the proper equipment. He tells us what it takes to please Him and then he supplies us – gotta love that.

“I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.” Romans 12:3 CEV

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

I understand where people get the idea that God is sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to fail or mess up; I lived that way for years. However, Moses told the nation of Israel that God set before them life and death, blessing and cursing. Then he told them “Choose life”. That was Jesus’ purpose – to provide the way of blessing – choose life.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

Jesus said: “The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

L’Chaim!

Choosing to live by faith brings reward. God is the one who promised it, our part is to seek Him and not give up.  Faith is believing that God will be faithful to His word; that what He has said WILL come to pass. And why shouldn’t we believe Him – He hasn’t lied yet!

The greatest miracle in the Bible was the result of a young woman’s faith. The angel came to Mary and told her that she would have a child. Mary asked how this could happen since she was a virgin and hadn’t been intimate with any man. (You all know the story). I love what the angel, Gabriel, said in response.

“Nothing is impossible for God!” 38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:37-38

I want my response to God to be the same “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen as He said”.

What are you facing today? NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE when we put our faith in GOD.

Lift your glass and celebrate life. L’Chaim!

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Good Old Days

In today’s world we have better living conditions, better advancements in health care, better education than the generations before us. But we also have more stress, more acts of violence, more fear and less family stability.

In the “good old days” people prayed for rain and the success of their crops, families worked and played together, communities gathered together to help a neighbor in need and children were educated by teachers who prayed and used the Bible as the core curriculum in reading.

Truth was the foundation for society, government and the family.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. ” John 14:6 ERV

The word “the” is a defining force. Truth isn’t subjective, it’s an absolute. You are either telling the truth or it’s a lie. If you leave facts out to skew the story or sway the outcome, it isn’t truth. Remember the days when people in court had to place their hands on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? People swore or affirmed their statement by the Bible because it was and is the only standard of truth that has never changed since it was written.

“The way”. Our life’s is a journey and we can chose the path but when we follow paths of our own making we become distracted, confused and even lost.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

I love that verse. When we choose “the way” and “the truth” we gain life. And when we don’t, we face an enemy who seeks to destroy us and we are without defense.

“Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. 9 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 that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:8-10 CEV

When Kaci, our youngest, was very little she woke up crying. I got up and took her to the living room to rock her back to sleep. She didn’t want to be there – she strained and leaned in my arms, wanting me to take her to another room. I did and her actions were the same. Wanting to go from the living room to the family room to the kitchen and then the dining room and finally back to the living room.

No matter which room we were in, she wasn’t content. When we arrived back in the living room (only about 10 minutes had past), she snuggled into my chest and fell asleep. I remember saying to her, “This is where we started. I knew this was the best place for you. Why couldn’t you trust me and see that?” And then I heard God speak in my heart and ask me the same question.

“Why don’t you trust Me to know what’s best for you and to have you in the right place?” WOW!

I wish I could say that I never had to learn that lesson again but that wouldn’t be the truth. However, the longer I walk with Him the easier it is for me to see when I am on a path of my own making and not where He wants me.

I encourage you to join me in making “The Way” your choice, committed to “The Truth” and finding “The Life” that is abundant and everlasting!

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Anything Good

Good Things. What are the good things in your life? Loved ones. Home. Health. Peace. Joy, Contentment.

I grew up occasionally seeing Oral Roberts on television. He was famous for saying “Something good is going to happen to you this very day”. That was a novel concept to people and in fact, it made some good church going people mad every time he said it.

You see we had been raised to believe that God was the destroyer – if we weren’t doing what we should then He would wipe out of crops, cause our cars to break down, make us sick or bring our marriages to a rough and rocky end. But in all truth, that isn’t God at all.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 AMPC

God has been blamed, unjustly, for the things that the devil has been doing for at least the past century.

I was amazed this morning when I opened my Bible app by the amount of “good verses” that were there to greet me. Here are the first two:

“I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again.” Philippians 1:6 ERV

“Some of you have said to the Lord,  ‘You are my Lord.  Every good thing I have comes from you.'” Psalm 16:2 ERV

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Good Things. Good days. Good gifts. Anything good! It all comes from God.

My friends are some of the greatest gifts I have ever received. The love of my family is greater still. The people who know me best, have seen me at my worst and they love me. That is truly a gift from God.

One gift is greater. The unconditional, unending love of God is the greatest good thing ever. It is inconceivable to think that the One who willingly died for us would not want to fill our days with His goodness.

“No one can have greater love than to give his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I tell you.” John 15:13-14 NLV

“The Lord is the Rock, and his work is perfect! Yes, all his ways are right! God is true and faithful. He is good and honest.” Deuteronomy 32:4 ERV

Wouldn’t it be great if we started each day with a “good” word? Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for encouragement. Find a “good” verse for each day. The Bible is filled with them. It’s easy to do – go to a Bible app and do a search on the word good. You’ll be surprised how many verses pop up. Pick one and make it your day’s verse. It can’t help but give you strength and joy and it will get you looking for the “something good” that our heavenly Father is bringing your way.

When we put our faith in God and search for Him each day we will find Him and His goodness. And then we can share His goodness with others.

“Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” Hebrews 11:6 ERV

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The Very Best

Have we ever told our kids, a friend, our spouse or even encouraged ourselves to “do our best”? I know we 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, washing the car or playing some sort of sport. It goes without saying, we should be doing our jobs to the best of our ability.

And what about God? Do we think He does anything less than His best? I found myself praying that this morning, “Father, do your best.” When I pray for my kids, grandkids, great granddaughter, 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 everyone.

Some 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!

“Now, if you will be careful to obey the Lord your God and follow all his commands that I tell you today, the Lord your God will put you high above all the nations on earth. 2 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. The Lord will make you his own special people. 10 Then all the people in that land will see that you are called to be the Lord’s people, and they will be afraid of you. 11 “And the Lord will give you many good things. He will give you many children. He will give your cows many calves. He will give you a good harvest in the land that the Lord promised your ancestors to give you. 12 The Lord will open his storehouse where he keeps his rich blessings. He will send rain at the right time for your land. He will bless everything you do. You will have money to lend to many nations. And you will not need to borrow anything from them. 13 The Lord will make you be like the head, not the tail. You will be on top, not on the bottom. This will happen if you listen to the commands of the Lord your God that I tell you today. You must carefully obey these commands.” Deuteronomy 28:1-14 ERV

Our heavenly Father never does anything less than His best. He can’t. He is excellent in all His ways!

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

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A Box of Promises

Were you able to encourage someone yesterday? I had a pretty tough afternoon and I am so thankful for dear friends and family who were there to encourage me. It meant so much.

As I sat here this morning I found myself thinking about my Grama Mac’s kitchen table. When I was a little girl and we would go to visit her and Grampa we never left the breakfast table without one of them taking a card from the Promise Box, reading it aloud and then taking time to pray. Do you remember those little “Promise Boxes”? I didn’t realize it then but she was planting God’s word in my heart.

We found out yesterday that success, true success, in life comes one way!

“Joshua, you must be strong and brave! You must lead these people so that they can take their land. I promised their fathers that I would give them this land. 7 But you must be strong and brave about obeying the commands my servant Moses gave you. If you follow his teachings exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 ERV

Meditate on the Word of God and obey it! It’s a simple instruction. God’s message is consistent. See what he spoke through Moses:

“Always remember these commands that I give you today. 7 Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember my teachings. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ERV

Maybe we should make our own box of promises. Take one promise from God’s word and write it down. Keep it in our pocket read it over throughout the day. Let it bring life to our situation. Moses preached it, so did Joshua, King David, Isaiah, and Jesus did too. After Jesus ascended back into heaven Peter made teaching God’s Word his daily ministry.

“The apostles did not stop teaching the people. They continued to tell the Good News—that Jesus is the Messiah. They did this every day in the Temple area and in people’s homes.” Acts 5:42 ERV

Every day. Day in and day out. Just like breathing, eating and drinking. Every day the Word gives life and causes us to succeed.

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Be Encouraged!

Have you ever had an Eeyore kind of day? You know what I’m talking about – nothing seems to be going right. You’re up and ready for that first cup of coffee and find you’re out of your favorite creamer or maybe you overslept and don’t even have time for the first cup.

Then there’s the traffic on the way to work and it’s moving at a snail’s pace. The big meeting that was scheduled for 11 has been moved up to 9:30 and you’re not ready…

These are just small things but they can get you down. What about the real crises that present themselves? The “cancer” diagnosis that you just received, the loss of your job or the loss of a loved one – these make the minor obstacles dim in comparison. What do we do? How do we handle this? Sometimes we just can’t do it on our own; we need someone to help.

Be encouraged!

I’ve been reading about the Israelites journey in the desert. They were a bunch of complainers if ever there were any. They complained about the water, the food, the people, they complained about God. They are the kind who would have complained that their ice cream was cold. Really, they had an issue with ingratitude.

One man, Joshua, had been Moses’ assistant through all of this and the Lord had just chosen him to be Moses successor. Not a job that you would choose for yourself. This is what the Lord told Moses.

“…commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.” Deuteronomy 3:27-28 NLT

The Lord knew what these people were like and the challenges Joshua would face so He wanted Moses to see that he was encouraged for the job ahead. Do you ever feel that a job or challenge is just too big for you? Isn’t it great when someone comes along side and encourages you to keep going? They tell you, you can do this – don’t quit!

Just in case Joshua wasn’t encouraged enough by the words of Moses, God spoke to him personally with this.

“Joshua, you must be strong and brave! You must lead these people so that they can take their land. I promised their fathers that I would give them this land. 7 But you must be strong and brave about obeying the commands my servant Moses gave you. If you follow his teachings exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 ERV

Don’t be afraid because the Lord will be with you wherever you go! Take that personally. __________________(fill in the blank with your name) don’t be afraid wherever you go because the Lord is going with you.

It’s great to have the encouragement of a friend but so much greater to have the Lord as your cheerleader and counsellor.

Maybe you don’t need to be encouraged today, maybe things are going great. Praise God! Look around and see if you can find anyone that you can encourage – you may have just the words or the hug they need to make it through the day.

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Honoring Our Mother & Father

We’ve had the pleasure of having my mother with us for the last ten days. She is ninety-six and lives about four hours away. It’s been so good to have her here. During her stay we were visited by our youngest daughter and her family on one weekend and this last weekend our son came to see Gram. Our oldest daughter wasn’t able to make it, she was out-of-state welcoming her first granddaughter into the world.

Mom was so blessed to be surrounded by her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She had a big smile on her face most of the time. (She got weary at times and took a nap, I did too.) Mom held the littlest one in her arms, watched the two and four year old play, told stories to the adult grandchildren of their childhoods and relived the milestones of her life with them. It was amazing!

It was truly a wonderful expression of one of God’s commands.

“You must honor your father and your mother. The Lord your God has commanded you to do this. If you follow this command, you will live a long time, and everything will go well for you in the land that the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 ERV

Mom will be with us one more day and I will miss not having her here. She lives with my sister and her family; they take very good care of her. I will miss tucking her in at night and praying with her. Very few adults my age are blessed to still have living parents.

But we all have a loving heavenly Father. He is our Father who lives forever and who is as close to us as our next breath. He desires to tell us stories of His past. In fact, He wrote them down and put them in a wonderful book for us to read, the Bible. He wants to tell us all about His plans for our life, the good things He has in store.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 NLT

There are several words in the Bible that can be interchanged for the word honor; praise and bless are just two of them. We honor the Lord when we obey Him; when we magnify or exalt His word above all others we honor Him.

“I will honor the Lord at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. 2 My soul will be proud to tell about the Lord. Let those who suffer hear it and be filled with joy. 3 Give great honor to the Lord with me. Let us praise His name together.” Psalm 34:1-3 NLV

As long as our parents are living we should give them honor and as long as we are living we should give our Father honor and praise. It’s just the right thing to do.

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