EXPAND TO READ: DEUTERONOMY 11 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 19): I will admit that this has been a struggle of mine as of late. I was doing really good for quite some time, but the last few months have been strained for me on this topic. You tell us here that we are to teach Your words to our children, talking about them always. I do feel like I bring You up often in conversation with my kids, but not nearly as much as I did just a few months ago. I would share one of my quiet times with them each week and go into more detail about Your truths with them and answering any questions they had. I haven’t done this in a few months and I am sorry for that, Father. I had it scheduled for every Saturday, which may have been too frequently for me personally to try and do right off the bat. I apologize for just “giving up” on this altogether, Father, as this is not what You have called me to do. Help me to get back to sharing my quiet times with my family, Father, by starting maybe twice a month and seeing how that goes. Eventually maybe I can get back to every Saturday, but You know me better than I do. Help me to do what is pleasing to You towards my children, Father.
PROMISE (verse 8): I really love this verse as it seems to be speaking to me directly. I have had issues with leaning on You for strength at times through the various trials and experiences I’ve had since coming to faith. You give a reminder of Your promise here, however. If we lean into Your command, which is to love You with all that we are and to try our best to keep Your commands, then we will have Your strength to get us through those difficult times. It reminds me of my life verse, Matthew 19:26, where Jesus says that with men these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. If I just lean on You more and stop trying to do everything in my own strength, then greater things can be achieved in this life for Your kingdom. Help me to truly believe and accept this promise in my heart, Father. Help me to always lean on You for strength through anything this life may throw at me.
ATTITUDE (verse 22): I really do need to work on this. I try to follow so much and fail quite often, probably because I am stretching myself too thin at times. You give me such a simple blueprint to follow, however, in being a true follower of You, Father. You tell me to carefully observe the commands You’re giving me to follow and then list them as love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, and remain faithful to Him. Essentially, You grouped EVERYTHING about being a truly righteous follower of You into three main categories—love, walk, faithfulness. Help me to embrace an attitude of true love towards You, Father, so that this can outpour to those around me. Help me to embrace an attitude of consistency in walking in Your ways and not my own, so that I am example to those around me of Your kingdom. Help me to embrace an attitude of faithfulness to You, so that I may glorify You through all that I am and all that I do in this life. Help me, Father.
COMMAND (verses 1, 13, 22): You repeat these simple, yet often difficult to truly follow, commands multiple times in today’s Scripture. Anytime I see/hear You repeating Yourself, I automatically assume it’s an important command I should follow. In these verses, You tell us the basic principles/commands of being a true follower of You. These commands are to love You with all that we are, walk in all of Your ways, and follow You with true faithfulness. The stressed command in these verses is to love You with all that we are—heart, mind, body, soul, etc. I am not that far into my spiritual journey, yet, unfortunately. I still have a lot of things to work on, but I know I love You with more of me today than I ever have in the past since coming to faith. I know You are still working in me for greater things and my flesh/worldly habits of old as well as my scars/wounds are hindering You. Please continue to work in me to soften and lessen those scars and wounds, Father. Continue Your works in me to break the chains of the fleshly and worldly habits I seem to keep myself bound to, Father. Help me to be better at truly following these commands in my life.
EXAMPLE (verses 18-25): You give so many examples here of how we are to live out our faith in this crazy world. You tell us to imprint Your words on our hearts and minds. You tell us to teach them to our children throughout all things in this life. You tell us to write them on our doorposts and gates of our homes. You tell us to be cautious about following Your guidance, wisdom, and commands in this life to ensure we are not deceived and/or lost to the world’s influences. You also tell us that in abiding with all of these examples, that we are powerful beyond measure and nothing in this life can defeat us. Help me to live in this example You give better, Father. Help me to truly reign in Your Kingdom power and authority in this life through my obedience and faithfulness to You, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: You sure are coming at me hard today, Father. Convictions left and right in today’s scripture. Most of it is focused on how I am walking in this life, especially when it comes to my love towards You and how often I share Your truths with my family. Help me to be a more Godly man, Father. Teach me what it means to be a Godly man, but also how to do all these things in my life that You want me to do in the time given. I always seem to find myself stressed out when I try to put too much on my plate, but I know that with You in control it is never too much. I ask that You continue to remind me to lean on You through all things, Father. Continue to push me in the direction You want to go, but also nudge me back to Your path when I deviate. Thank You for today’s conversation, Father. Thank You for all the changes and impact You’ve already made in my life through the renewing and restoration of my heart and mind. Thank You for everything, Father!
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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