FINDING SATISFACTION

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and revering Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws, and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Deuteronomy 8:5-14

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.”

These words from Moses form the foundation for today’s devotion as we focus on the matter of satisfaction. Israel was about to enter the land God promised them, a land that was flowing with milk and honey, a land that was sure to meet their needs. Moses affirms this saying:

"...the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.”

Certainly, these must have been wonderful words of assurance to the people of Israel who had been wandering the desert for forty years to get to this moment in time. The struggles they faced during their exile, struggles that so often left them hungry and thirsty, were about to be replaced with a rich abundance that would lead them to “lack nothing.” Surely, things were about to change for the Israelite people, definitely for the better.

Now, with this pending change, we see where there was an associated concern expressed by Moses:

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.”

In other words, don’t forget about the blessed, almighty Hand that feeds you.

Moses saw a potential danger in Israel’s newfound bounty and affluency, a danger grounded in them getting so comfortable in their new life of abundant goodness that they would forget to give thanks and praise to the One who made it all possible.

Because of this, Moses commands God’s people to “not forget the Lord”, cautioning them to not allow their heart to become proud which could lead to them taking all the Lord had done for granted. The hope was that the Israelites would develop and sustain a healthy attitude of gratitude, seeing the Lord’s provision in everything they were blessed, always being satisfied with that provision, and giving Him full credit for everything.

This message brings some questions for us as believers today.

For how satisfied are we with our own lives? Do we find ourselves being unsatisfied, coveting more at the expense of being grateful for what God has already done for us?

If we are comfortable in our life, have we allowed ourselves to reach a place where we maybe take the Lord for granted? Or worse yet, have we maybe gotten to a place where we see everything we have as coming from our own hand and by way of our own efforts instead of from the blessed Hand of the Lord, the Provider of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17)?

Friends, the bottom line is that we must consistently give God thanks for everything, whether in times of plenty or times of want, being satisfied and content no matter our circumstances. This means that we need to fight off a fixation with things, the possessions we have that can begin to possess us if we’re not careful.

To that end, thankfully we have the Lord, the One who is all we could ever hope for or ever need in life. When we make Him our greatest possession, then He in turn will possess us...and when this happens, then we will find the only true place of satisfaction in life, a satisfaction that perseveres and endures, a satisfaction that brings us peace and joy, now and forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GOD IS WITH US THROUGH OUR JOURNEY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.”

Deuteronomy 8:1-4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Think about the course your life has traveled. I’m sure it has had its share of ups and downs...times of joys and sorrows...highs and lows…good times and bad times…but the good news is that you have made it to today and this appointed place and time as you read these words the Lord is placing on my heart.

Indeed, just being here right now…me writing this and you soon to read it…is a rich blessing in and of itself. For consider that God doesn’t have to grant us one single day and yet He continues to bless us many, one after another which form what we refer to as life. And as if this wasn’t enough, He also promises and eternity of days when we place our belief and faith in His Son Jesus.

Yes, the Lord has brought us through every part of our life’s journey to this very day and this time just as He had brought the Israelites through their forty years of wilderness wondering to reach the place and time where they were listening to Moses in our scripture passage for today. Look again at his words here from the opening four verses of Deuteronomy, chapter 8:

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.”

Here, we find the Moses, the leader of Israel, reminding his brothers and sisters that it was the Lord who had led them the entire duration of their life journey. During that sojourn, they didn’t have it great all the time. Not even close.

We know there were times of hunger and thirst...times of failure and discipline...times of humility and testing. And then there was the matter of just living a nomadic existence within a harsh desert wilderness environment. Indeed, it was far from easy for the Israelite people and maybe you can relate to them a little bit. Perhaps you have had your own personal exodus as you marched to the place God has promised, the glory of Heaven.

So why did Israel have to go through all that they went through?

Why all the hardship?

I mean, weren’t they God’s chosen people?

And for that matter, why do we go through so much trial ourselves?

As believers of Jesus Christ, aren’t we God’s children?

Well, to begin addressing these questions, let’s dip back into our scripture passage for today to find some answers, to see why God did what He did then…and why He is still doing it today.

When we look at these four verses, we see where God had to humble His people in order to teach them how they couldn’t (and wouldn’t) make it in life without Him. Think about it...if the Lord has always made everything easy for Israel, they would have taken Him for granted and there would have been no exercising of their faith.

For trust in God isn’t born out of good times but rather out of trouble.

Here’s an illustration to reinforce this.

The Bible speaks often about faith being refined like the process used for precious metals like gold.

How is gold purified?

It can’t be when it is in its solid state, that’s for sure, and so a metallurgist will super heat the gold first, melting it down into a molten state. When that happens, the impurities within the gold, often referred to as dross, rise to the surface as they are heavier than the liquid gold. The metallurgist then skims off the impurities from the gold before cooling it in whatever form they wish. The end result is that the gold has been improved and made more valuable through the refining process.

Now, let’s apply this to our own life from a spiritual standpoint.

Our faith is only truly tested and refined when we enter into the hardships, challenges, and afflictions of life. In those circumstances, we are super-heated and melted down so that God can enter in and skim away any impurities within our faith. After He helps get us through our difficulties, we see our lives cool down and we end up being a better version of ourselves, more trusting in our Lord.

Indeed, it is during the tribulations of life that we realize how very helpless we can be without the help of the Lord. We realize in a hurry that we don’t “live on bread alone” but rather “every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”, words that promise us that He is with us and for us, no matter what life brings.

Jesus showed us how to stay strong in the midst of adversity in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew as He faced a spiritual assault by Satan. Look at that account here with a focus on the first temptation attempt by the enemy:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Vv. 1-4

Before this encounter, Jesus had been on His own personal spiritual journey, having spent forty days and forty nights fasting in the desert wilderness. As you would expect, He was very hungry afterwards and when He was at this point of vulnerability, the devil entered the picture, surely thinking that God’s only Son was ripe for the picking.

He thought wrong.

For the scriptures show us that even while in His weakened state, Jesus was able to ward off Satan.

How?

By using the Word of God, the Word that man cannot live without, the Word that is also the weapon believers are to use when wearing the full armor of the Lord (Ephesians 6:17).

In the end translation, God was with His Son as He was tempted just as much as He was with the people of Israel, helping as needed through times of difficulty.

The good news is that He is still working in our lives the same way. He is just as much Emmanuel (God with us) now as He was in ancient biblical times. Let us never forget this as we go through whatever life brings our way, knowing that we never face problems of life because our Lord, the Lord through which all things are possible, walks alongside us through every step we journey with Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

OUR GREAT AND AWESOME GOD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land - your grain, new wine and oil - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that He swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you. You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.”

“You may say to yourselves, ‘These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?’ But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under Heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.”

Deuteronomy 7:12-26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“…for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.”

These words from verse 21 of Deuteronomy, chapter 7 resonate across this entire scripture passage and across the landscape of our everyday lives as well.

For ask yourself this:

Where would we be without the great and awesome God who created us and this universe we live in?

Just the fact that He has brought us into existence to serve Him would be reason enough to rejoice but through Him, we have so much more in life, an abundance of blessedness from the One who sends every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17). We see some of the specific things He provides from our verses for today. They include:

1. God loves His people.

Moses said this to the Israelites as a reminder:

“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep His covenant of love with you.”

Truly, God had established a divine promise (or covenant) to love His people and He has never stopped loving those who place their belief, hope, and trust in Him since then.

Consider these words from the Psalms:

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:8-12

Truly, there is no limit applied to the love of God. It reaches to the highest heights and the lowest lows, spanning to the furthest reaches of the east and the west.

Thanks be to God for His love for we only know how to love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

2. God blesses His people.

Throughout the history of the Israelite people, God continuously blessed them with His provision, power, and protection...and would continue to do so as we see Moses asserting:

“He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land - your grain, new wine and oil - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that He swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.”

The people of Israel would enjoy an amazing life, basking in the goodness of their God, as long as they would remain obedient to Him. This is what was promised by their great and awesome God.

Today, we should consider all that God has given us in life and when we do so, it’s important to not allow our consideration to only include the tangible things for this is how the world gauges how blessed they are...by way of how much stuff they have.

The wonderful think about being a Christian believer is that we see the greater value contained within the intangible. Just having a heart that beats and lungs that breathe in and out are reasons for thanksgiving. Ditto for the mercy, grace, forgiveness, and yes, the unchanging, steadfast love that comes from our great and awesome God, a love that didn’t wish for us to perish but gain eternal life through His Son, Jesus (John 3:16).

Truly, God blesses us abundantly and in return, we need to show Him an unending attitude of gratitude in response to His goodness.

3. God heals His afflicted people.

Indeed, God was the Great Physician for the Israelites, something else we find Moses reminding them of:

“The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”

One could say that there is a power to create, administer, and spread disease within the domain of man and they would be correct. Recently during the COVID crisis, we saw where a laboratory created virus could wreak havoc on the world if it was allowed to escape. Further, nearly all major nations of the world have biological weapons developed and hidden away to use if needed.

Yes, there’s little doubt that humankind has the ability to develop and unleash elements that would afflict and destroy people but the power to keep people free from any disease? That ability is solely reserved by a great and awesome God.

Truly, our Lord is capable of doing anything He wills to do, including healing His people. An obedient Israel could expect this to be the case for them but unfortunately, we know they didn’t do too well in holding up their end of the bargain as they willingly chose to violate God’s commands. In the end translation, they needed to learn that the only way to have a God-blessed life was to comply fully with His expectations.

In present times, we too will face afflictions of many kinds and when sickness or injury comes our way, we need to remember the amazing , healing power that God holds in His hands, remembering that He promised that nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:37).

What an incredible, blessed assurance that is!

4. God protects His people.

After entering Canaan, the land God had promised to give His people, the Israelites would face many adversaries, powerful enemies who weren’t going to give up their nation without a fight.

All this might have brought fear and anxiety to the people of God and so we find Moses speaking into that space with the following words:

“You may say to yourselves, ‘These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?’ But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.”

To sum this up, Moses was letting the Israelites know that they didn’t have to be worried about fighting against stronger nations in Canaan for those nations lacked one very important thing. They didn’t have the only great and awesome God fighting for them. Rather, He was their chief opposition and because of this, they didn’t stand a chance.

Today, Christ followers may encounter people who seek to oppose them as well, especially as they go forth to carry out Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. When resistance comes, it’s of critical importance that they remember that the great and awesome God of the scriptures is with them as much as He was with His people of Israel. As it was with them, He is with and for anyone who places their hope and trust in His holy name, ever ready to help believers overcome their enemies. All they need to do is just keep faith and trust in Him.

5. God delivers His people.

Going back to Moses, we find him sharing the following with God’s people:

“The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under Heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them.”

God promised to drive out the pagan groups within Canaan and deliver them into the hands of Israel and as we know, He never fails to keep any promise. So it will be when the Israelites enter the Promised Land. No one will be able to stand against them because God was fighting on their behalf.

In present times, no one can stand in opposition to what the Lord is doing through His people either when they put Him first in everything they do. Indeed, He always rises up to help and defend us when we face trials, allowing us to stand firm in the midst of adversity, not by our own strength but by His power residing within us.

Finally…

6. God words miracles and wonders in support of His people.

Here’s what Moses said on this:

“...remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out.”

Going back to the Book of Exodus, we see where Israel’s departure from Egypt was far from an easy, routine exit. After all, how many people can say that they walked across a dry sea bed while the mighty waters were divided in two, suspended in air so they could pass safely?

The people of Israel could as they were able to testify that their great and awesome God was a God of incredible, astounding miracles and wonders.

This same great and awesome God still puts his marvels on full display each and every day. Look at the news and/or social media closely enough and you will discover evidence of God’s miracles and wonders happening all over the world. For our Lord is ever at work, unveiling His mighty power while amazing and astounding us while performing acts that are seemingly impossible and improbable, constantly reminding us that He can indeed do all things.

Friends, we can’t afford to adopt an attitude of indifference over just how unbelievably incredible our God is. Let us rejoice and be glad daily that our Lord liberally lavishes His love, blessings, healing, protection, deliverance, and miracles and wonders upon us every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com 

WE ARE GOD'S TREASURED POSSESSIONS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.”

“The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands. But those who hate Him, He will repay to their face by destruction; He will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate Him.

Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.”

Deuteronomy 7:6-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Can you remember watching movies or shows where someone was going after some kind of treasure?

Typically, they are following a map or some other clues to try and find where the bounty is hidden so to find it and have it for their own. These people, the treasure hunters, could be seen to have three distinct yet common traits when it comes to seeking what they wish to discover:

First, they relentlessly seek it.

Treasure hunters are always on the hunt for the treasure they want. They are persistent and persevering in their quest, devoted to the chase for the target of value. Indeed, nothing can deter them from finding what they set out to find and this is why treasure hunters usually are successful in getting what they’re after.

Secondly, they value their treasure.

It wouldn’t make much sense to invest and dedicate a lot of time and effort over something that was useless. No, treasure hunters go after things that are rich in worth, something important enough to make significant sacrifices to find.

Once found, the treasure hunters ensure they value what they have found and take good care of it so to ensure it doesn’t become lost again. While there’s thrill in the hunt, rejoicing comes with discovery and possession.

Finally, they protect the treasure they cherish so much.

Treasure hunters don’t leave their newly found riches unguarded. After all, they aren’t the only ones looking for riches and wouldn’t want someone else to step in and steal away what they had worked so hard to obtain.

Treasure finders seekers protect the treasures they acquire.

Okay, so what does this have to do with today’s message?

It actually forms the conceptual core for it. Look at these words from Moses to the Israelites pertaining to how their God saw them:

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.”

Truly, God treasured His people Israel. He leaves no doubt this through His own confession and the good news is that He treasures us as well today for as Christians, we are His beloved children.

The problem is that too many people, past and present, fail to treasure God as He treasures them. This places God in a position where He becomes a divine treasure hunter, seeking the very things He values so much, namely us. In doing this, we find Him displaying the same aforementioned of the treasure hunters discussed prior. The only difference is that His quest for souls is not worldly but spiritual, grounded in a desire to find the lost and bring them to His side, making them even more valuable as He instills holiness and righteousness within.

Consider these traits of God, the One who persistently hunts for people, His treasure:

1. He seeks them.

The Lord is always searching for those who have gone astray. He is tireless in His pursuit and fully devoted to the chase. There is no one or no thing that can keep Him from fulfilling His desire to find the lost. He never gives up on chasing after anyone because they are priceless in His eyes.  

2. He values His treasure.

The Lord invests a lot of time and effort seeking those His treasures so much, even though they can be quite elusive and stubborn. Still, God is willing to make unbelievable sacrifices for His treasure, showing this when He willingly gave up His one and only Son Jesus out of the love He had for His valued treasure, those He desired to become His blessed children. And when God finds a treasure person who was once lost, He takes good care of them because this is what someone does when they hold something of great value.

This truth leads us to the third and final trait: He protects His treasure.

You see, if God would leave His treasure unguarded, Satan would be able to come in and steal it away.

God isn’t about to allow that to happen.

Now of course, someone who is His treasure can decide to walk away from Him, something an inanimate object can’t do. And when they do this, choosing in a moment to not value the Lord as He values them, then they expose themselves to the enemy’s thievery, something that unfortunately happens way too much. Frankly, I can’t help but think how this must break God’s heart every time it happens.

Friends, our message today contains supremely good news for we are reminded how we are God’s treasured possessions. The same God of the Old Testament Israelites is our God today, a God who loves us, cherishes us, blesses us, values us, and protects us.

Could we ask for any greater gift in life than all we receive from a caring almighty, Heavenly Father?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE DANGERS OF UNDUE INFLUENCE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations - the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you - and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.”

“Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.”

“This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.”

Deuteronomy 7:1-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

To this day, I still remember guidance from my parents when I was growing up, guidance concerning the important of choosing who I associated with. They cautioned me about using wisdom when it came to selecting friends because of the influence they could (and would) have on me. After all, they had invested a lot of hard work instilling right and righteous principles within me and knew that all their hard work could be put in jeopardy if I hung out with the wrong person or crowd.

Thankfully, I listened to them, took their advice, and then put it into practice. In return, I did successfully come through my childhood not failing or falling because of the undue influence of others. Since then, I have adopted the same practice, making sure I don’t invest a lot of time with anyone who might seek to compromise my values. Being in favor with the Lord has always been more important than trying to fit in and do whatever was needed to be accepted.

What a blessing it was and still is to have parents that loved and cared for me so much! Maybe you can relate. 

Well, as we start our look at the seventh chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, we see where God, Israel’s Father as well as ours, had the same general principle in mind for His people as they prepared to enter and possess the land of Canaan, the land He had promised to them. He knew that as His nation “grew up” in their new Promised Land, they would be in the midst of cultures that could potentially bring spiritual corruption if they weren’t careful to steer away from them and adhere only to God’s directives and expectation.

From our scripture passage, we learn that the Israelites would be inheriting land from the “Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites”. These “seven nations were all “larger and stronger” than Israel but God vowed to deliver them over to His people. As He did this, we see where He only placed one expectation on the Israelites as they went into battle. They were to totally destroy the seven nations, showing no mercy when they did.

God demanded that the people of Israel were to “break down” the “altars” of their enemies, smashing “their sacred stones”, cutting “down their Asherah poles”, and burning “idols in the fire”.

Why?

Because if they failed to totally destroy these people and their sinful objects of worship, then Israel would run the risk of being infiltrated by their people and adversely influenced by their sinful ways.

Through His instructions, God sought to keep His people from being morally compromised and spiritually damaged by the nations they were to defeat and displace. He commanded the Israelites to “not intermarry” with the other nations nor “give their daughters to another nation’s sons or take another nation’s daughters for their sons”.

This is because the Lord knew that if the Israelites integrated with the pagan, polytheistic religious practices of the seven mentioned nations, then they would run the risk of being turned away from Him and towards the service of “other gods”. And if this happened, God made it clear how He would respond for His anger would burn against His people and He promised to “quickly destroy” them.

I think we can see clearly that it was in Israel’s best interest to comply with their Lord’s commands and demands.

My friends, things haven’t changed a bit today nor has the Lord’s concerns. For the world and the enemy within present all kinds of undue influence that can entice and draw believers away from the Lord and just as in the days of the Old Testament, we need to be extremely careful when it comes to who we choose to associate ourselves with.

As we consider this, we need to remember about a thing called “guilt by association”, the concept that is grounded in the fact that one can be associated with the principles and reputation of a person or group, even if someone doesn’t actively participate in their ways. For example, if a person who professes themselves to be Christian, hangs out with other believers who live in ungodly ways, you can bet that people will start to look at you and your claimed faith with skepticism or even start to label you as being hypocritical.

Obviously, this is something we want to avoid at any cost as Christians. We simply can’t allow ourselves to be compromised or discredited when it comes to the ministry work Jesus has called us to do.

In today’s message, we find our God sending a clear message of concern about the matter of proper association with others and as in all things He expects, we need to heed His guidance, ever ensuring that we will walk the straight and narrow path He sets before us, the straight and narrow path that leads to true life, now and forever (Matthew 7:14).

There’s simply too much at stake for us to go astray and fall into the undue influence of Satan and those he uses to war against our Lord.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHAT WILL WE TELL OUR CHILDREN?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and His anger will burn against you, and He will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees He has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.”

“In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?’ tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders - great and terrible - upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that He promised on oath to our forefathers. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.’"

Deuteronomy 6:13-25

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

This scripture passage that closes Deuteronomy, chapter 6 continues with the reminder to serve God and God alone, to revere and respect His awesome power and to remain obedient to His commands and decrees. If one would do these things, doing what was good and righteous in the Lord’s sight, then all would go well for that person and, in the case of Israel, they would be able to go in and take over the land promised to their fathers by the Lord.

In today’s message, I would like to focus on the second paragraph, verses 20 through 25, for it’s there that we find Moses giving God’s people the following direction:

“In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?’ tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders - great and terrible - upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that He promised on oath to our forefathers. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.’"

Here, we find Israel’s leader stating the obvious for there would come a day when the people’s children would grow up and inevitably ask questions about the way things were. One of those questions might be focused on why there are stipulations, decrees, and laws that must be followed and where that requirement originated.

As we have seen throughout this book so far, it’s obvious that the Lord never wanted Israel to forget all that He had done for them as well as all the direction and guidance He had provided. Within this, we need to note how it wasn’t just enough for the Israelites to not forget what they were to do and how they were to live. They were also responsible for passing all this down to their children so they would know their history and the God who was with them as much as He was with their ancestors.

Given this, the people of Israel were to give precise and thorough answers to their children’s questions, educating them about the past. They were to tell them about their Egyptian enslavement at the hands of Pharaoh and how there was a mightier hand, the hand of the Lord that rescued them from captivity with unmatched miraculous power. This included great “signs and wonders”, some of which were terrible as God brought judgment against Pharaoh and his people.

After that deliverance, God continued to be with His people, bringing them through the desert wilderness while giving them navigation, protection, and provision all the way to where they found themselves now, on the brink of crossing the Jordan River into Canaan so to “go in and take over the good land that the Lord” had “promised on oath” to their forefather – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As they did this, God vowed to thrust out all the enemies that were before them.

As they did all this, they were to remember their responsibility and obligation to “obey all” of God’s “decrees and to fear” Him so that they would “always prosper and be kept alive”. In the end translation, if the Israelites were “careful to obey all (the) law before the Lord (their) God, as He (had) commanded”, then that faithful obedience would serve as their “righteousness.’"

Indeed, Israel had a great deal to share with their children, all so they might come to know and respect the almighty, powerful God of Israel, the Lord of their ancestors and Lord of their life as well.

As I meditated on this passage with the Holy Spirit, it brought me to one fundamental question:

What will we tell our children, the ones who belong to God but have been entrusted into the care of us, earthly parents?

For as they grow older and want to know about the lives we have lived, when they ask us for guidance and wisdom, when they ask us to testify about our past experiences, what will we tell them?

Will we draw follow the blueprint found in today’s scripture passage, always referring them to the Lord by sharing all that He has done in, through, and around us?

Will we testify about how He has cared for us so much and been there to edify us, heal us, encourage us, test us and, most of all, love us throughout our lives?

Will we excitedly share with them how God didn’t wish for anyone to perish and so He surrendered His one and only Son Jesus out of love, allowing Him to die so someone who believes in Him as Savior will live forever?

I don’t believe there’s any doubt what the Lord wants us to do as He makes it clear through sharing His expectations with the Israelites while speaking through Moses. He wants His people to tell their children all about Him and what He has done, particularly when it comes to how He has provided deliverance while working great wonders and miracles all around us. He wants us to instruct our children regarding His Word, making sure they know His laws, commands, decrees, and stipulations.

In sum, we are to educate our children every day in regard to the Lord’s Word, will, and way and the best way we can do that is by pointing them to and connecting them with Jesus, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life, the only One who was perfectly obedient and sinless in the sight of God the Father.

What will we tell our children?

Our God gives us the answers and expects us to do as He says.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

APPRECIATING THE GREAT PROVIDER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Deuteronomy 6:10-12

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Our scripture passage for today from Deuteronomy, chapter 6, is comprised of a mere three verses but the words within are of extreme importance for they place the reader’s focus and direct attention on God as the Great Creator and Provider for all created things.

As we have seen in this book to date, Moses has been priming Israel for their entry into the land God had promised to give them, the land He “swore” to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was still their leader but soon would be replaced by Joshua who would have the privilege to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River into Canaan.

I have always loved how Moses, despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to enter the Promised Land with his brothers and sisters, never stopped caring for them, those he had led since departing enslavement and bondage in Egypt. We have seen how he dedicated his time to remind them about what God had commanded. He also recapped their sinful mistakes of their past to help them avoid repeating them while also sharing new words of wisdom with them.

In today’s passage, he not only gives the people of Israel something new to consider but his words speak to believers today as well. Look again at those verses here:

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Deuteronomy 6:10-12

Now, on the surface, these words might seem centered solely on remembrance. After all, Moses exhorts the Israelites to “be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery”. But if we focus only on the matter of not forgetting, I think we are missing the bigger message contained within, a message which encourages appreciation for God and all He has done. To that end, Moses reminds the people of Israel about several important matters:

First, It is the Lord and Him alone who is really bringing them into the Promised Land.

Yes, Joshua might have been designated by God to be the Israelites’ leader as they crossed the Jordan but rest assured that it was God, and God alone, who was bringing Israel into Canaan. They wouldn’t have been able to do it if it wasn’t His will for them to do so.

Today, it is God, and Him alone who brings us to where He wants us to be as well. Given this, we shouldn’t take credit for it ourselves or give credit to others, removing the glory from Him that He deserves. I’ve firmly believed, and have seen it happen in my life, that God always puts us where He wants us to be. And when we submit to His will in that place, we will see how we are there to fulfill His purposes. With this truth in hand, we only need to just trust and believe in Him, responding to His direction in obedience wherever He leads us.

Secondly, the Israelites were receiving the Promised Land because of a covenant promise made with their ancestors.

As mentioned, Canaan was land sworn to “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”, the fathers of Israel. And so the Israelites were gaining the nation as an inheritance, a fulfillment of God’s covenant promise and we know God always keeps His promises.

This absolute fact helps us as we walk through life each day as Christian believers. For we should always remember that when God puts us in places that He wants us to be, He is always and ever with us there. We know this because He promised He would always be present walking alongside us, wherever we He would lead us. He assured us through His Word that He would never leave nor forsake us.

Friends, is this not good news for us, good news we need never forget?

For the God of all things, the God of infinite power and wisdom, never leaves our side. We will face hardships in life as we move in accordance with His will but He will always help us make it through those times, the times when He is actually helping refine and purify our faith. Indeed, through His strength and help, we can make it through anything and everything (Philippians 4:13).

Give thanks today and every day for the Lord who never breaks a promise.

Finally, everything the Israelites were about to inherit didn’t come from any work they had done.

The land of Canaan was filled with “large, flourishing cities” that Israel would conquer and possess as their own but they didn’t build those cities or the houses within that were “filled with all kinds of good things”.

They would enjoy fresh water to quench their thirst from wells that someone else dug. Ditto for the “vineyards and olive groves” that had already been planted, vineyards and olive groves that would allow them to “eat” and be “satisfied”.

No, Israel didn’t play a part in producing anything that they would inherit.

But God did.

He, the Great Provider, was the One and only One who made the way for Canaanite cities and houses to be built, wells to be dug, houses to be filled with the richest provisions, and vineyards and olive groves which were planted and harvested. All the Israelites were gaining came from God and so Moses encouraged them to not forget that, giving the Lord the credit He was due.

My brothers and sisters, in our scripture passage today, we see the nation of Israel called into a state of appreciation for their God, the God who truly does bring down every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17).

My prayer for us in these present times is that we would never lose sight of the God who is at work within any and every life situation and circumstance as we follow His will, realizing that He has brought us there, is there with us in the midst of things, and is ready to provide whatever is needed to bring us through so His purposes are ultimately carried out. Everything we have has been given by Him, abundant blessings for us to live for Him in this life as we move toward the eternal life to come, the eternal life none of us have earned and yet have been granted by grace through belief in His Son Jesus. 

Let us always give Him all the glory, honor, and praise, now and forevermore.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.