EXPAND TO READ: DEUTERONOMY 32 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 4, 31, 37): You repeated this quite a bit throughout today’s scripture, Father. Referencing Yourself as our Rock and other “gods” being lesser, irrelevant “rocks” in our lives. I will admit that for a long time I failed to truly lean on You as my Rock in this life, Father. I often tried to do things in my own strength or with the help of those around me instead of going to You first for Your strength, guidance, and wisdom. I still do this every now-and-then even today after all the maturity I’ve gained in my spiritual life. I know this is a weakness of mine, Father. Please forgive me for my lack of fully embracing You as my Rock in my life, Father. Help me to be better at always leaning on You through all things.
PROMISE (verse 36): This promise is kind of a two-fold promise. One that brings pain and the other which brings amazing joy. The first is towards those who are against You and Your people with the second being directly tied to Your people. You promise us that You will vindicate Your people, but then also that You will show compassion towards all of Your faithful servants. Thank You for Your compassion and love for Your people, Father. It really does show in these words how compassionate You are towards me. You are willing to truly take on with all Your force those who are against You while at the same time show Your followers Your full level of compassion. Absolutely amazing!
ATTITUDE (verses 4, 31, 37): As I confessed earlier, I know this is a struggle of mine. I often try to do things in my own strength and on my own without going to You as my Rock. I do this often to the point of exhaustion, physical pain, and even getting to the point of tears at times when I’ve gone way too far on my own. Please help me to truly know and embrace what it means to live in an attitude of having You as my Rock, Father. Help me to fully experience this in a way that it becomes my default at all times instead of when I’ve exhausted myself. Thank You for the direction You always provide to me, Father. I ask again for You to help me take the small steps needed to get to You truly being the Rock in my life at all times and through all things in this life, Father.
COMMAND (verses 1-3): Right at the start of today’s scripture You give a very clear command—pay attention. You started off this way because everything You are about to reveal is extremely important and You wanted to stress that I must pay attention. You go on to say that You will speak and that I need to listen. You want Your teachings to shower me and Your words to stick to me throughout. You want me to proclaim Your name and declare Your greatness. Those are all important commands as well, of course, but the very first thing is the most important because I would never see or hear anything else if I do not first and foremost PAY ATTENTION to what You are trying to tell me. Thank You for the immediate focus, Father. Help me to continue to pay attention when You are speaking to me so that I may truly listen.
EXAMPLE (verses 5-6, 18-21): You give so many examples about the current generation being a crooked and perverse generation at the time of this writing well over 2,000 years ago. At the same time, I feel You are also talking about the current generation. Maybe even the generation You’re speaking of here has never moved on, because I feel like even our society today has nothing but crooked and perverse generations. We live in a very selfish, money-driven, all about me type of society nowadays, but it seems they did back then as well. With all that has changed in the world over the last several thousand years, it seems the root attitudes and thought-processes inside of most of the people in this world hasn’t really changed at all, it just seems to be exposed more to the world, now, due to how connected we are instead of exposed almost entirely to just You. I don’t know what all can be done for the world, Father, but I know that You have been working in my heart to make me a better man than what this world had tried to make me and I am so grateful for that.
*DAILY NOTE: I’m not sure how to sing this song exactly, but it is a beautiful song that reveals so much about the things that had happened as well as what would be happening to Your people. It reveals so much about You, Your ways of living, and some reactions You’d be taking both in the positive and negative aspect of things—jealousy, compassion, etc. This was a rather lengthy chapter, but I’m so grateful for the Song of Moses. I can honestly say that I do not believe I have ever read this in its entirety, but I’m glad I did today. Thank You, Father, for the great lessons and convictions You’ve provided today. Thank You for speaking to my heart about some of the issues I need to work on. Please continue to provide me with the baby steps I need to take on a daily basis to help me continue to walk Your path for my life and not my own, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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