EXPAND TO READ: DEUTERONOMY 13 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 6-8): I guess I’ve confessed this to You before, but I do feel inclined to confess again based on these verses. Although I have never given into other gods which others have spoken to me about, I have given into idols in my life, which I have sometimes placed over You. Money, sex, “things” of this life, etc. have all been idols of mine at various points in my life, even since coming to faith. I am not proud of this by any stretch of the imagination. It just shows that I still have many fleshly weaknesses to work on in my conversations with You, so that I can truly let go of the identity I used to have in order to fully embrace the identity given to me by Jesus. Please forgive me for giving into my weaknesses so often in my life, Father. Forgive me for not leaning on You more throughout those times, so that I can quickly turn back to Your will for my life in those moments. Help me to be better at recognizing when I am walking off Your path, so that I can lean on You to quickly get back to Your path.
PROMISE (verse 17): I really do love this promise You offer here because it reveals more about You in a single verse. You tell us that nothing should set us apart from You, so that You will turn from Your burning anger in order to show us mercy and compassion. Mercy and compassion are probably the two biggest things You have shown to me through my life and I am so grateful for them. Thank You for this promise, Father. Thank You for the plentiful mercy and compassion You are often showering me with. Help me to be better at acknowledging and embracing Your promises in my life, Father, so that as I continue to renew my heart and mind, that renewal comes from You and not the world or my own flesh.
ATTITUDE (verses 1-2): I do struggle with embracing an attitude of discernment in the moment, Father. I can look back or step away for a bit and embrace righteous discernment, but in the moment I do find it difficult to do so. In these two verses, You speak of false prophets/dreamers and tell us to make sure we recognize these if they are trying to pull us away from You in any way. Help me to be better at walking in and embracing an attitude of righteous discernment, Father, so that in the moment as these things come up I am truly able to use Your truth to combat the enemy on the spot.
COMMAND (verse 18): Your command is quite simple and has been repeated quite a bit throughout the book of Deuteronomy so far. It is to obey You fully, keep Your commands, and to do what is right in the sight of the Lord our God. Sounds like a simple command, but it’s really just the tip of the spear because I do struggle with obeying what I feel You are pushing me towards at times. Not because I don’t believe You or anything like that. It’s actually because of my fear in doing those things or those changes. I guess You would say I’m allowing my fear to outweigh my trust in You just as my kids sometimes do with things I ask them to do and be brave about. Help me to no longer live in fear, Father. Help me to truly embrace all that You are fully to the point that my trust in You ALWAYS outweighs my fleshly fears.
EXAMPLE (verses 1-5): In these verses, You speak of prophets and dreams which predict things that may come true. What I find amazing throughout these verses is that at no point do You say they are coming from the enemy. Quite the opposite, actually. You tell us not to listen to them, because You are testing us to know whether or not we truly love You with all of our heart and soul. I know there are many tests You give to us and sometimes even back-to-back. I know I have likely failed MANY of those tests throughout my life, unfortunately. What I’m surprised by here is that You are using someone to foretell an event and to use that to lead us to other gods as a test of our own faithfulness and love towards You. I guess the tests of the heart aren’t as simple as some would think at times. Sometimes a little bit of trickery is needed to truly reveal our heart’s desires and weaknesses. Thank You for this revelation, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: Such a short chapter which repeats itself often, yet there is still so much to learn from these words. Today You taught me that not all tests of our faith and our heart are clear and obvious. Today You taught me that I need to be better at righteous discernment in the moment to ensure I am not giving into false prophets. Today You taught me that Your mercy and compassion is granted fully and in abundance to those who truly follow You and obey You. This doesn’t mean You don’t grant mercy and compassion to others, it just means that I will overflow with both if I am truly committed to You with all that I am. I know I have made mistakes in this life. More mistakes than I’d care to admit, but also more mistakes than I likely even remember making to be honest. I also know that You have shown me so much mercy and compassion since coming to faith. I couldn’t imagine Your mercy and compassion being even more than it already is, but that is what You promise here. It already flows into me more than I can handle, yet You are saying there’s even more that You can give! How amazing is that?! Thank You, Father, for granting me more than I deserve and for continuing to work on me in becoming a more Godly, spiritual, and righteous man in this life. You deserve more from me; my wife deserves more from me; my kids deserve more from me. Thank You for getting me on the right track, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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