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Loving God
Andrea Lende • May 10, 2021
Deuteronomy 11:8
Loving God
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Loving-God-e10j2ip
Deuteronomy 11:8
“Therefore, you shall keep all the commandments which I commanded you today, that you may be strong and go in and possess the land which you go across [the Jordan] to possess.”
“And that you may live long in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses continued to advise the people before his departure from this world.
He was not allowed to go into the promised land, so he poured his wisdom out from the storehouses of his heart.
He wanted them to be successful in their new life.
It must have been difficult to say goodbye to them.
Difficult to give up leading the tribe he had led for so many years.
Kind of like raising our own children and then watching them walk into their adult lives.
We can’t help but give them advice and counsel.
We want to tell them everything we know to set them up for every possible scenario they’ll encounter.
However, it is impossible.
Moses must have felt much the same way.
His last words to the Israelites were powerful and are still applicable today.
Deuteronomy 10:12 says, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind, and] heart and with your entire being.”
Moses told them if they would do these things, they would be strong.
They would, in fact, possess the land they were meant to have.
The land flowing with milk and honey.
All these blessings would be theirs if they would worship God and love Him with their whole heart, mind, and being.
As I read these passages today, I was reminded where my strength comes from.
Where my blessings come from.
All these things are found in my worship of the Lord.
When I give my heart, mind, and soul to the Him, He strengthens me and blesses me beyond my imagination.
Moses was trying to convey this with every word he said.
Today I choose to worship the Lord with my whole heart, mind, and soul, and serve Him with my life.
May you find as you worship God that He will strengthen you and lead into all the blessings He has in store for you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me how powerful it is to be in relationship with You. Thank You for reminding me to worship You. Thank You for reminding me to continue to give You my heart, mind, and spirit. As I surrender my will to Yours You lead and guide me in Your ways. Help me follow You and be obedient to You. Help me fully surrender to You, Lord. Help me hear Your gentle whispers and be continually guided by You. You are my Strength. You are my Strong Tower. You are my Shield. May my heart always love You. Keep me Yours, Lord. Keep me Yours. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM Your God, and you will always be Mine.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord, thank You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.