EXPAND TO READ: DEUTERONOMY 3 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 25-26): I know I have done things in my life since coming to faith that was not pleasing to You. I know I have even done things that were likely completely against Your will for my life when I was wearing my blinders in my faith. I am not proud of this and I am thankful that You pulled me through those difficult and disobedient times. I am sorry for not living in obedience to You fully throughout my life, Father. Please forgive me for this. Help me to better understand Your will for my life, but also have the motivation to follow Your will for my life even if it means standing still like You commanded Moses to do in these verses. Oftentimes I want to do something, but I now know that sometimes You require us to do nothing because Your timing reigns supreme over my own. Help me to continue to understand this better, Father, so that I do not make the same mistakes I’ve made in the past.
PROMISE (verses 2-3): You promised Your people, under Moses, that they would have many great victories to acquire the land promised to them. Again, in this chapter, we see them being reminded not to fear the difficult task ahead and to stand firm in their faith, because You are with them and will be there to throughout to help them claim victory over their adversaries. Such an amazing promise to make, especially when facing a tough foe like those here. You helped them get through the massive army and barriers to claim their victory, because they remained firm in their faith and trusted You throughout those trials. As a result, they saw the promise of great land being made theirs.
ATTITUDE (verses 2, 22): These two verses begin very similar and I feel that’s intentional. You tell Your people, just before proceeding into battle, not to fear because You are with them and have already claimed victory for them. You are telling them to maintain an attitude that does not fear man, because God is with us. If we are doing Your great works, then there is nothing to fear in this life aside from You, of course. Help me to live in an attitude of courage from You, Father, so that I do not struggle with fearful ways in this life. Help me to fully embrace all that You are willing to give me, so that as I walk in this life I walk with my head held high knowing that God is with me always.
COMMAND (verses 2, 22): Once again, I see these two verses speaking to me rather loudly. I also see them as commands from You. You tell Your people not to fear, because You are with them. This isn’t You command them not to fear You; it’s You commanding them not to fear the trials they are about to go through because You have already claimed victory over those trials for them. This is similar to when You tell us to “get up” as You are asking them not to fear as an action step; an act of obedience towards You, showing that we are standing firm in our faith. Help me to truly stand firm in my faith, Father, just as You commanded here, so that I do not live in fear over various trials and situations which You have determined for me. If it’s something You want me to do, then I should never have fear of taking those steps. Help me to become strong enough in my faith, so that I truly embody what it means to not fear the steps You want me to take in this life.
EXAMPLE (verses 5-7): Under Moses, Your people face so many trials. They first had to escape Egypt, which was a crazy and tough task in and of itself due to how powerful Egypt was at the time. Nobody is strong enough to defeat You, however, so this task was easy for You. They had to remain faithful throughout their “wandering” for many years not knowing when their next meal would come or if they would be able to settle down soon, but You always provided for their needs throughout this time. Then, they were told that they’d have to fight to acquire the land, but not to fear because You had already claimed victory over their adversaries. They remained firm in their faith throughout these battles to claim the promise You had made to Your people long before their escape from Egypt. I find this inspiring, but also a little worrisome. I understand that sometimes the steps You want us to take may involve a lengthy amount of time between each step. I also understand that I have a purpose in that life and that purpose may not be for my family right now, but maybe generations down the round. Maybe I am here just to establish the Christ-focused foundation for my future generations. Help me to understand more about what You want from me, Father, as well as what my purpose is. Help me to embrace this as well, so that I do not try to overachieve or change Your plans for my life.
*DAILY NOTE: I know Your people under Moses had many issues with their faith, their trust, etc. I know they weren’t perfect, but none of us really are except for Jesus. They worked hard and they stood mostly firm in their faith, but they too had some worries here-and-there. I thank You for taking me through some of their trials, Father, so that I can relate them to trials of my own in this life. I thank You for speaking to me today about fear, Father, so that as I go through trials in my own life, I can stand firm in my faith without fear knowing that You are with me. Thank You for today’s conversation, Father, and for speaking to my heart.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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