For those who wonder how I can possible serve a God I cannot see, this is how. Yes, when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I did it in faith. I did it because what the minister said made sense, and I liked what I saw in the lives of those I knew served Him.
As I made Him Lord of my life, committing time to get to know Him, we began to build a genuine relationship. This relationship that you can’t see is why I continue to serve Him after all these years.
I explained once, to a friend, that I had never seen her father, had no proof of his existence beyond what she had told me of their relationship. Based on what I could not see, I had the option of choosing to believe he did not exist. I chose to believe he did, because I trusted my friend and believed what she told me about their relationship.
How can you have a relationship with someone you can’t touch and feel? People do it all the time over the Internet. For decades, we’ve been developing relationships with people we may or may not ever meet in person. Sometimes we even feel closer to those distant friends than we do to the ones in our “real lives.”
My relationship with God is like that. I am closer to Him than anyone around me. He’s inside me, knows me better than I know myself. Have I ever seen him? Well, I’ve actually had two visions of Jesus, so yes…but even if I had not it would make no difference, because seeing isn’t necessary to relationship. Feeling isn’t necessary to relationship. Only knowing is necessary to relationship and oh, yes, I do know Him.
We were in the back of our Girl Scout leader’s car, on our way to a campout, when I overheard a girl with short, curly hair telling the story of the day years before when she had gotten her incredibly long hair cut off. As I heard the details, I popped up and interrupted her to ask if she remembered two girls watching. She did, and I informed her that I was one of those girls. RAM – Randomly, I instantly accessed a memory I’d totally forgotten. (And, just as randomly, it was the “Hare Today” title of a previous post that triggered this memory as well as inspiring today’s title.)
Mother was a hair stylist (We called them beauticians in those days.) until I was in Junior High and my parents started a business. As a result of her profession, Clarissa and I spent many hours in various salons. The day the girl came in with the longest hair I’d ever seen on a child (she could sit on it) and cut it SHORT really had burned itself into my hard drive. I may not access the information often, but it’s there.
I remember being appalled. I remember being astounded that she was so happy with her new ‘do.’ I remember being convinced that she would regret it forever.
How often, in life, are we able to get answers to our impossible questions? I mean, really? When I realized who she was, I had to know. Had she regretted it? Ever?
“Never!” she said with a smile.
No, it wasn’t one of the great questions of the universe, but it was satisfying to finally have it answered nonetheless. I love it when things like that happen!
They were the youngest daughters of one my Mother’s friends. It amazes me, actually, that I remember them at all, because the time during which our moms would have been friends had to have been fairly short.
Nonetheless, assuming the few memories I have are accurate and not my childhood brain combining multiple stories, I can tell you they were Catholic, because they were studying them one day and they said their mom only allowed Catholic Bibles in the house; there was a baby in the picture somewhere, because their home was the first in which I saw how much babies liked to play with keys (real ones, not those plastic toys); and their older siblings were…a little creative.
On the night I’m remembering, our moms went out somewhere and Clarissa (my sister) and I, along with Venitta and Vanessa, were left in the care of their older siblings – one of which obviously had a car. I remember watching a what-to-do discussion as our babysitters tried to decide how to have fun while keeping the kids. They settled on going to the movies.
Normal. Right?
Unless you’re going to a drive-in theater with limited funds, want to see movies little kids can’t see legally, and those kids really are little…little enough to fit in the trunk.
Yep, that was my first experience with truly breaking the rules. It was, bless God, my only experience inside a car’s trunk. Well, except that it happened more than once that night. As I recall, the first movie didn’t serve, so we went to another…and perhaps a third?
Another first that night was “rated” movies. I saw things at one of them that… Well, I think they figured out they’d blown it at that one, because we didn’t stay long after the scene that messed with my young head.
It never ceases to amaze me, this random access we have to memories from decades ago. It’s also intriguing to consider: How accurate ARE my memories of my two young friends? Assuming Venitta and Vanessa are out there, do they remember us? Do they remember that night? Are they as dedicated to their Bibles today as they seemed to be then?
It’s amazing how an incident in your past can affect your present. When I was a child, we ran around barefoot all the time. We also lived on the water and enjoyed going down to the water’s edge to fish. One day, a broken bottle made its way to the bank’s surface and sliced through the big toe you can’t quite see here. I’ve dealt with the consequences of that day ever since.
The scar tissue that builds up is terrible. It’s not so bad during the winter when I wear a lot of low-healed boots that have plenty of toe room, but the minute spring hits, with its pretty heels, so does the pain. I used to just live with it, but the older I get the less willing I am to do that, so pedicures are now my friend.
There’s nothing wrong with running around barefoot, though I seldom do it anymore, but every trip to the nail salon is a reminder that every decision we make, even those that are seemingly inconsequential, has the potential to affect us (and others) for a very long time.
I’ve been in a few conversations, lately, regarding introverts and extroverts. For those who don’t know the difference, the most basic explanation has to do with how you recharge your batteries. If being in crowds wears on you and drawing away for some alone time builds you back up, you’re an introvert. You’re like me.
I’ve learned how to live in an extroverted world, of course…so much so that many don’t even know this detail about Tammy. The fact remains, however, that too much time spent in large groups of people will eventually find me hiding out for a few minutes in a bathroom stall with my eyes closed, gathering myself so that I can get back out among them.
None of which really has anything to do with why I even picked up my phone to blog today. I was actually thinking, this afternoon, about the seeming contradictions where introverts are concerned. For instance, while you might expect those who enjoy speaking in public (Yes, at one time I did a few times every year) to be extroverts, I’ve found that many of my favorite speakers are actually introverts.
And then there are things like the school play. I don’t know if this is really an introvert thing, but I think so.
I always wanted to be involved in drama in school, but didn’t have the nerve. When they were putting on one of my favorite plays one year, I REALLY wanted to try out, but signed up for tech instead–even that was huge for me.
Fortunately for me, I had friends who knew me well enough that they tricked me into trying out even though I wasn’t officially supposed to. I clearly remember, while I was singing, the director asking, “Who is that?”
I didn’t get a part that day, but when one of those friends had to drop out a couple of weeks later I was offered her spot (I even eventually got a three-word solo. LOL!).
My point is this. Sometimes we introverts really do want to take part in what you extroverts are doing, desperately want to take part. At those times, if you know us well enough to recognize our need, we actually (eventually) appreciate it when you push/force/trick us into following our rapidly palpitating hearts. At least…I did. I had a great time that year and have never forgotten what a treat it was to be tricked by those friends.
1Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.
“Oh the joys…” These words (or, in KJV, “blessed”) make one want to continue reading. Who wouldn’t want to know about something that would bring them joy? Who is this joyful one?
First, he is one who does not follow the advice of the wicked. At a quick glance, it is easy to say that of course we wouldn’t do such a thing, but can we be so sure? In my day-to-day life, whose advice do I take, really? I remember a friend telling me once that she and her husband had been working with a credit counselor who had advised (commanded, actually) them to stop paying tithes and giving offerings until they were out of debt. Now, I understand that it may have been their own actions that got them into debt in the first place, but tithing certainly wasn’t one of these destructive actions. Indeed, in taking advice that ran counter to God’s Word, they limited His freedom to bless them financially. I don’t remember ever hearing about things getting better after this. I’m sure it never occurred to them that they were following the advice of the wicked; they just wanted to get out of debt and failed to realize that they were actually going into debt with God while working on paying off man.
And do we stand around with sinners? Yes, we are in this world even if we are not of it. Too, spreading the Gospel is our responsibility and for others to receive from us usually requires at least some level of relationship. This does not mean, however, that it is appropriate for us to have sinners as our bosom buddies, those with whom we are closest and who influence us. It has been said that you can’t fly with the eagles if you hang with the turkeys. The Bible states it slightly differently. “Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm.” (Prov 13:20) While I may have sinners as friends, they should not be my primary companions. No one should be able to say of me, “She is the companion of fools.” Sinners, in God’s eyes, would certainly fall into the category of fools.
Join with the scoffers? Me? I don’t make a practice of it, certainly, but can I honestly say I have never done this? One who practices the “art of scoffing” is quite good at what he does. In belittling a person, project, or idea, he can make those who disagree with him feel foolish, small, and lacking in judgment. This type usually finds it easy to persuade at least a few to join with them. Indeed, it is possible that the only one more able in his “art” is the one who gossips, which is another act that God abhors.
2But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law.
The King James version reads, “But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” I like both versions. The New Living Translation makes it clear why this man’s delight is in the Law of the Lord. It’s not that he loves The Law for The Law’s sake, but because it is The Law that tells us what the Lord wants us to do. This man delights in The Law because in doing what it tells him to do he is pleasing his Lord.
What is meditating on The Word, on The Law? It is thinking about it, really thinking about it. It is paying close attention to what it says, what it means, and how I can apply it to my life. The one who delights in God’s Word chews on it like a steak lover chews on a prime piece of sirloin cooked to perfection; he takes his time and savors every bite, every word, wringing from the experience the greatest possible satisfaction. And the one who does this does it continually.
I kid you not; it is not unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night thinking about specific Scriptures. I have not always done this of course; it is a habit that developed over time. First, I simply made a point of slowing down, of looking deeply at individual verses during my prayer time. Before long, however, I discovered that these verses would hang around in the back of my mind all day, asking questions about themselves and demanding answers. Now they hang quite close, ready to race to the forefront whenever I have a few moments to sit and think about them. Indeed, it’s astounding how much work goes on “on the back burner.” You hardly realize you’ve been thinking about something, meditating on it even on a subconscious level, until you are abruptly hit in the face with what feels like brand new revelation.
This is delight in itself. Even beyond the delight of knowing this much more about how to please your Lord is the joy of feeling like the Holy Spirit has just whispered a new revelation in your ear. Yes, the Bible makes it clear that there really isn’t anything new under the sun, but this revelation feels new, like a special gift from God to you. There are times when this revelation will seem too radical to be right. In such times I always check it against Scripture and I usually don’t share it with many people; I simply write it down. In almost all cases, my pastor or some other minister eventually shares the same revelation, which is a tremendous confirmation of my ability to hear from God.
3They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.
And here are the promises. I love how God not only tells us what we need to do to be pleasing to Him, but promises wonderful gifts to those who strive to do those things.
He says we will be like trees planed along the riverbank. I live in an area with many rivers and know well that it is the trees planted on the riverbank that are healthiest. Hardly ever suffering drought, they grow tall and strong. All things being equal, they produce fruit in season without fail and the fruit is excellent. Oh, let this always be me! It is my desire to continually produce the fruit of the Spirit as well as the other fruit that brings glory to God and expands His kingdom. This being my desire, I must certainly go back and pay special attention to verses one and two.
Their leaves never wither,
God marked this section with a spiritual highlighter years ago, bringing these specific words to my attention one evening during prayer. He had been speaking to me loudly about age, and about how it should and should not affect me, pointing out certain passages and saying, “This has to do with age, Tammy.” He said these words again when we reached this verse. “Their leaves never wither.” Again, as is true so much of the time, I’d spent years of my life reading the words without paying real attention to what they were saying. (Of course, until I turned forty I had little reason to care in this case.) The leaves withering on a tree is one of the things that mark the passing of time, an effect of age and environment. If a tree’s leaves don’t wither, we lose one of the signs of the changing of the seasons. Those who love a beautiful autumn display might be distressed by such an occurrence, but anyone transitioning into what is commonly referred to as the autumn of her life would greatly appreciate entering this time without showing any physical signs of age and the effects of environmental conditions.
The more God shows me on this topic, the more convinced I become that His perfect plan for us is that our bodies and minds continue to function perfectly until the day we give up this life for the next. I know it’s possible, because many have walked out the evidence, living this life fully until its end. The challenge is in overcoming the reality that surrounds us, the expectation that says, “Now, you know this is what happens as you get older.” I contend, however, that God’s truth is higher than reality and Psalm 91:4 says that His truth is my shield and buckler. His truth has the power to defend me from reality as long as I do what I must do – be fully persuaded of this truth, and be a good steward of the body and mind He has given me. Am I there yet? Not even, especially where being a good steward of my body is concerned, but I am working on it.
and in all they do, they prosper.
Here we have seven words that would, should, make anyone sit up and take notice. After all, who doesn’t want prosperity? I know there are those who have concerns about “the prosperity message,” but a careful study of Scripture shows that prosperity is God’s desire for us. How, then, could we excuse denying Him the right to give it?
Mention the word “prosper” and most seem to think of money, but according to this verse we are to prosper in all we do. Yes, we are to prosper in our businesses, but we should also prosper physically and mentally as I mentioned in my notes on the last phrase. Too, we should prosper in parenting, relationships, ministry…in every thing we do. Since God has said that if I do all he talks about in verses one and two then this prosperity will happen, I cannot help but conclude that it is my fault if I am walking out those two verses and still not prospering in all I do. I must be doing something to put a wall up between me and the prosperity God wants for me. What is that wall made of? Unbelief is the most obvious thing, and I can think of a few other possibilities as well. It is my mission to seek and destroy those things so that I may walk in the fullness of what God has made available to me.
4But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
I seldom include verses such as these in my written mediations, because my intent is to concentrate on what I need to do and ensure that these verses can never apply to me. It is sad to think of these verses when they apply to specific people I know. Put in a name where it mentions the wicked, see what happens to the wicked and all that they lose, and you are more motivated to reach out to that person, to help them find the light. I don’t want anyone to be worthless chaff, scattered on the wind. I want no one condemned. I want everyone to have God watching over their paths.
Yes, we in Christian culture know it as Good Friday, and it is a VERY Good Friday. A few years back, however, I grew hungry for more knowledge of the Jewish Jesus. I had a desire to understand where Jesus and His disciples were coming from, so I began researching more about what it meant to be a Jew. As I learned, Good Friday became even more awesome than before.
Passover isn’t just a celebration of God delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt. It is so much more, and what happens during this feast lies not only at the roots of Jewish culture but that of Christianity as well. The Jews flocked to Jerusalem with their required sacrifices, those spotless lambs they had been keeping carefully for this, The Lord’s Feast. This was no mere offering up of the life of a perfect lamb to them; it was spiritual life and death. Only if they brought an acceptable sacrifice would their sins be covered for the following year – and only for the year.
Think on that a moment. They put forth a massive amount of effort to fulfill their responsibility in this. Whether they counted it labor or honor, it was WORK to preserve a spotless lamb and bring it to the Temple, to wait their turn to actually make their offering in the midst of a chaotic symphony of bleating and talking and prayers and…and the shedding of so much blood. They did all of this trusting God to cover their sins for a single year, planning to return the following year to do the same.
There is much more to Passover, but this is the point to which I wished to bring us. On THAT Passover, THE Perfect Lamb offered Himself up instead. From that moment on, these annual sacrifices became unnecessary because His blood didn’t simply cover our sins for a single year; rather, it washed them away forever.
On Monday evening, when I was finally recovering from a truly SICK weekend, my rest was interrupted by a girl’s screams and the sound of two dogs fighting. It is amazing what a good shot of adrenaline can do. I was out the back door, over the fence that was lying on the ground, and in the midst of a dog fight in seconds – and one of the dogs was mine.
We have yet to figure out what happened, exactly. The girl was walking her dog (Great Dane), who had never shown any sign of aggression that I know of, when said dog dashed across the yard, dragging her the whole way, and literally took down our fence. (T-post, so not QUITE what you’re thinking, though still!) As I said, no one knows exactly what happened, but when I ran outside I found my passive whippet/beagle mix locked in mortal combat with a horse-sized demon.
And here’s where this post takes a turn you’re probably not expecting.
I was actually able to separate the dogs, with one collar in each hand, and knelt there on the ground between two seemingly calm pooches while the girl went for her aunt. It was over.
Or so it seemed. When I told the whole story to my sister she said, “You know YOU weren’t the one holding those dogs!” Had the event ended right there, I might have disagreed with her, but the instant the aunt took the other dog, and I removed my hand from her collar, she was on my Daisy again as if the battle had never stopped. Needless to say, I let go of Daisy instantly so she could do her best to fight back while the other woman tried to get control of the Great Dane.
We did get control. Daisy did go to the vet and get care for four gaping wounds. (Yes, the dog owner paid and even provided transport for Jack and Daisy since I wasn’t able to take her myself.) Daisy is recovering well and everything is going to be fine.
The more I think, though, about how calmly I knelt on the ground between those two dogs, and how totally at peace they appeared to be while I was there, the more I am blown away. Frankly, though I’m pretty sure I would do it again, it was a pretty stupid move on my part.
You can’t tell me God wasn’t protecting me. You just can’t.
Visit my Pintrest board and you’ll find a collection of pathways. I don’t even know how many I’ve pinned. I know only that I could easily pin hundreds more if I had time to sit and peruse the options.
Paths have always fascinated me. I look at a picture of a pathway that wanders off into the distance and the fairy tale loving part of me wonders, “What’s beyond that curve? What would I reach if I could follow it to the end?” I have this absurd sense that I, like Alice, could step through the frame and see.
It’s not just any paths I love, though. I appreciate well-manicured paths and paths that have been laid with stones or even railroad ties, but the ones I love best are truly natural paths, paths that speak of hundreds of footsteps (or hoof steps!) wearing down the grass over a period of time, paths that indicate something worth pursing, something that inexorably draws one forward to…
To what?
To the future, in a sense. To the unknown country that lies before us. I’ve never been one to settle for the here and now alone. No…I dream of what’s to come. I always have. Not that I let those dreams interfere with today, of course – usually – but rather that they drive me today in hopes of being ready to experience the best of tomorrow…and next week…and…
So, now that I think about it, I AM on one of those paths, and the photos I so delightedly collect also represent the various faces of the path I’m on. Interesting, how your thoughts can ramble in unexpected directions and you can see one thing in yourself while speaking of others.
What was it Bilbo said? “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
May your eyes be opened to your path, and may you be swept off your feet today.
I love these words. In modern terms this means – “it WILL happen.” These words were spoken to the children of Israel, but since God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) they can also be spoken over us. Of course, there is one “little” condition; it follows the next word – the IF.
thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day
Now, Moses was speaking of a particular list of commandments, a rather long list. Jesus later simplified matters by giving two commandments that cover everything. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. (Luke 10:27) This really does cover it all. If we truly love God with all that we are, we will make it our business to seek out those things that please Him and bring honor to Him and, likewise, we will actively avoid anything that displeases or dishonors Him. If we truly love Him with all our hearts, we will listen intently for His voice because it is our favorite thing to hear, and we will do whatever He tells us to do. And of course, if we do all of this, loving our neighbors as ourselves will be easy.
the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth
Again, God is speaking to Israel, but we have been adopted into that family, having been made heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ (Rom 8:17).
The thought of one people group (“Nation” translates as “people group” rather than being a political or geographical descriptor.) being exalted above all other people groups of the earth can be an uncomfortable thing to consider, but God said it, so think about it we must.
2And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
There’s that “if” again! Something will happen IF we hearken unto the voice of the Lord our God, IF we listen for it and pay attention to what it says. The Hebrew word used here is fairly pointed; it means “to hear intelligently” and often implies obedience.
Of course, if we are listening to His voice and doing what He says, we won’t be standing still; we’ll be busy about His work. And as we move forward with Him something will happen. He says that all (not some) of the blessings He is about to promise will come on us. As we move forward with Him, the blessings will come rushing up behind us and overtake us. How very opposite this picture is to the one mankind envisions. Most people feel the need to chase after the blessings, but God sees just the opposite – that it is Him we chase after and then the blessings chase after us. Matthew 6:33 comes to mind. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The “all these things” mentioned in this verse is discussed in the verses above; it refers to all the things the Gentiles (or those who don’t know Him) seek. Every one of those things is covered by the blessings mentioned in Deuteronomy 28. Once again, Jesus takes a lot of Scripture and condenses it down to the bare essentials. He’s still saying the same thing, but in a different way; I love it!
3Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
This verse covers a lot of ground – in the literal sense. Some translations say you will be blessed in the city and the country, which implies that no matter where you are, as long as it’s where God wants you to be, the blessings will overtake you. You can also see it as the city and the field being the two different places a person of that day would work, in which case it would be clear that wherever you work, as long as you’re listening to God’s voice and actively doing what He wants you to do, the blessings will find and overtake you.
4Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body
Here is a promise any parent can appreciate! As long as I hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord my God, being faithful to pay attention to and do all He tells me to do, my children will be blessed. This one promise, alone, should be enough to motivate any parent to stay in the absolute center of God’s will!
Other translations present this promise slightly differently. The New Living Translation says that you will be blessed with many children. To people in an agrarian culture, which Israel was, “many children” does mean “great blessings.”
Regardless of translation, God obviously intends for our children to be blessed and a blessing.
and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Again, God is speaking to an agrarian, or land-based, society here, so these were the primary areas in which a man made his wealth. He is saying in this portion of verse that whatever you do to make money, be it farming, ranching, sheep herding or anything else (as long as you are doing what He wants you to do), you will be blessed.
It is interesting to note that Proverbs 10:22 says, The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow to it. The word translated as “blessed” in Deuteronomy 28 is the root of the word translated as “blessing” in Proverbs 10:22. Looking at the definition, it is clear that the implication is definitely “prosperity.” It is God’s intent that we prosper financially.
5Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
Baskets were used for many things in Old Testament days. One of the ways in which a basket was used was carrying purchases home from the market. In some parts of the US today people still refer to those cards we push around inside grocery stores as baskets. I and many others walk in the knowledge of this Scripture when we go shopping, starting our shopping trips with, “Father, I thank You my basket is blessed.” I’m not the only one who has developed a reputation for finding bargains, and I’m convinced that our gift for bargain hunting is a result of our taking this particular blessing seriously.
As I said, baskets were used in many ways, and in any way a basket would be used God said it would be blessed.
The word “store” is interesting. Not only did they not have stores as we know them when this Word from God was given, but I have also seen the word translated as “kneading trough.” I went to my copy of Strong’s and found that kneading trough is, indeed, the more accurate translation.
Now, before anyone decides I’m questioning the accuracy of Scripture, let me point out that words change in meaning over time. How many words have we seen this happen to even in recent decades? (Look up the word “geek” in an older dictionary and you’ll see what I mean.) It is entirely possible that a kneading trough was called a “store” when King James had his translators work on producing a Bible that the common man could read.
Regardless, I appreciate the blessing on the kneading trough as much as I do the blessing on the basket. Not only are the efforts of one who goes out to work, to “earn a living,” blessed, but the work of the one who keeps the home is blessed as well. Bread was a huge part of the diet during Biblical times, so for the kneading trough to be blessed was a great thing. By implication, the bread made in that trough would also be blessed, and that blessed bread could only be a blessing to those who ate it.
6Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Whether you’re coming or going, you’re blessed as long as you meet the requirements of the blessing. Here again is a promise of blessing that is great enough to motivate the person who takes it seriously.
If one were guaranteed such a thing – that the blessing of the Lord (that causes you to prosper) would be on one every time one came in or went out – would it not make sense to fulfill the condition? The fact is, we are guaranteed that blessing!
7The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
There are many instances recorded in the Old Testament when both Israel as a whole and individuals experienced this promise in operation. This is not to say that Israel never had to fight, but in many cases she didn’t, and in many more instances God did the vast majority of the work Himself
Jericho fell without Israel lifting anything but her voice. Only after the walls fell did Israel enter battle. (Joshua 6)
Kings came from all parts of the country to attack Israel in Joshua 11, and in one day they were all destroyed. Their combined army was many times larger than Israel’s, but Israel was right with God and walking in His promise.
God enabled David and his mighty men to prevail in battle even when the entire Israelite army fled, leaving them to fight alone. My two favorite accounts are in II Samuel 23:9-12
Any time one enemy comes against the child of God who is walking as God commands, that enemy does not only come out against the child, but rather he comes out against the Father and his child. No matter what enemy we face, we have our Father’s promise that we do not face that enemy alone, and that if we will just stand firm our enemy will fall!
8The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses,
The emphasis here is awesome. God doesn’t merely bless you in your storehouses; He commands the blessing on you in your storehouses. The storehouse, of course, was where the wealth of the people was stored. Today it could be a savings account or any number of other things. Whatever your storehouse is, know that as long as you meet the requirements in verse 1, God commands a blessing on it.
and in all that thou settest thine hand unto
Remember we’re talking about a commanded blessing here, and look at where God is commanding the blessing. …all that thou settest thine hand unto.
I’ve spent a lot of time meditating on this verse over the years, but still need to spend more. The scope is downright astounding. God commands the blessing on me in all I set my hand to. As my pastor is so fond of saying, “all means ALL.” No matter what I set my hand to, as long as I fulfill the conditions in verse one, God commands the blessing on me in it. I realize, of course, that there are things I can do to negate that blessing – You are snared by the words of your mouth comes to mind. But looking at this blessing, and considering that as long as I do everything the way I’m supposed to, God commands it…that’s big. That’s enormous. That’s more than I can reduce to a few words on paper.
and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
This is a two-fold promise, spoken first to the nation of Israel and now to me. God promised to give Israel a land that was their own, a place they could call home where they would be able to raise their children and make their living with herds of cattle, farms, or whatever else they chose to put their hands to. God promised, too, that He would bless them there. He kept both promises. As long as Israel put Him first, they prospered in this new land God gave them. They prospered tremendously.
God’s promise holds true for us today as well. Our land may be a rented apartment, but as long as we follow Him and Him alone, not turning aside to serve other gods (money, work, etc.) He will give us that land and bless us in it.
9The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
Again, God is speaking to the people of Israel here. I see no problem, however, with taking this verse to mean Christians today. If we follow our Lord’s commandments and walk in His ways we are called by His name; we are called Christians. We have been established a holy people unto Him.
10And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
In the past, I gave little thought to this verse. In light of the events of recent years, however, I find them to be more than interesting. Christians and Jews around the world are under attack and both Israel and the United States, which many perceive to be a Christian nation, have been attacked in multiple ways. Much of this is just life, but I cannot help but wonder how much of the overall attack against Israel and Christianity is motivated by a simple fear of those who are called by the name of the Lord.
11And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
It is interesting that this list ends as it does. The implication, to me, is that these things will happen only as long as we are where God wants us to be – geographically speaking. He says He’ll do them in the land He swore to our fathers to give us, not anywhere else.
And what will He do? He’ll make us plenteous in goods – seeing to it that we have plenty of “good things.” He will also make us plenteous in the fruit of our bodies – giving us plenty of children. Finally, He promises to make us plenteous in both the fruit of our cattle and the fruit of our ground – increasing the number of our livestock (stock traders might want to take this one seriously) and giving us abundant crops.
He is, essentially, repeating the promises made in verse four, and any good student knows that when a teacher repeats himself it pays to give attention to what he is saying.
12The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand:
To farmers this is a true prosperity promise. You can plant all the seed you want to, but if the rain doesn’t come at the right time, in season, your crop will fail. (We’re setting modern irrigation aside for the moment) No matter how hard a farmer of this time period worked with his hands, he relied of God to open up the heavens and give rain to his land at the right time.
We may not be a nation of farmers anymore, but it isn’t hard to translate this to fit today’s ways of making wealth. We still work with our hands, if in myriad ways, and God still opens up His good treasure and pours out whatever is needed to cause the work of our hands to be blessed. Just as the farmer did all he knew to do and trusted God to bless it, so should we do all we know to do and trust God to bless it.
in his season
I clearly remember the day these three words exploded off the page for me. I was reading right along when it suddenly dawned on me that this is quite specific. I went immediately to God and asked Him what He meant.
The most obvious answer is that God’s season is not necessarily man’s season, and that I can’t tell God when to pour out His blessing on the work of my hands. I went to God with the question, though, because I felt this was only a partial answer at best, and I was right.
God’s season, put simply, is whenever He chooses for it to be. He is not bound by “seasons.” Any business man can understand this concept. Some businesses, perhaps most, are generally considered to be seasonal – be those seasons literal (summer, winter, etc.) or figurative (Christmas, tax season, etc.). A business man who operates under the standard assumptions of the business world may expect his business to do poorly during a specific season. God says differently. He says here that He will bless all the work of our hands as long as we meet His conditions, so He reserves the right to open His good treasure and give rain to your land in His season, even if that time is one during which the world would consider such a thing to be impossible.
and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
At a glance, this seems like a command, but we must remember that God is giving us promises here; the command has already been given. So this is a promise He is making to us, a promise that we shall prosper so greatly in every way that we will be able to lend to all sorts of people (many nations) and never have to borrow. How different this is from the manner in which modern man lives!
13And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath;
I particularly appreciate the first six words here – “And the Lord shall make thee.” I’ve tried doing it all on my own, advancing myself, promoting me; it’s a lot of work and doesn’t work anywhere near as well as one might expect. It is far better to let God handle the promotions, to let Him move you to the front of the line. Self promotion can only get one so far. When God makes you the head, you are the head.
Likewise, I appreciate His promise to make me above only and not beneath. There have been too many times in my life, when I tried to accomplish things on my own power, when I ended up on the bottom with a world of ‘stuff’ piled on top of me. This should be a completely unnatural position for the child of God. It is much better to do things His way so that He can keep me on top.
if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Once again we see the conditions we must meet, and we see them expanded upon. We have to listen for God’s commandments, whether they come to us through His written word or spoken directly to our spirits. We must also both pay attention to them and do what He tells us to do.
And we must never go aside from His commandments, either. This is important. When walking a path towards a goal, if you veer to the left of the right even the tiniest bit, you will not reach your destination; you will end up somewhere else entirely. According to this Scripture, if we go aside from God’s will for us, veering to the left or the right even a little, our destination will be other gods and we will end up serving them.
That seems a strong thing to say, but I didn’t say it, God did. Christians do this very thing all of the time, veering off a little to the right to serve the god of self, veering off slightly to the left to serve the god of money. Whatever the god’s name, be it Little League or work, or even children or church (Anything, when placed before God on one’s list of priorities, becomes a god.), if we end up serving it first, it becomes our master and we are no longer serving GOD. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, no man can serve two masters.
And, consequently, for the one who has turned aside to serve another god, this first part of Deuteronomy 28 no longer applies. This person now falls into the category of people covered by the rest of the chapter, as Israel did more than once.
But thank God for His mercy, for just as Israel repeatedly repented and was delivered from the hands of her enemies, so might we also repent and be set free to walk the blessed path of His will once again.
