For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace…
Here, in five words, is a principal I was taught years ago – follow peace.
It is the rule I adhere to when making any important decision. Yes, I follow forms of reason and logic as well, but peace has the final say because I have learned that God speaks through peace – and the devil cannot.
Recognize this – for it is foundational. Over and over Jesus, the Prince of Peace, promises us His peace. We are assured that while our minds are stayed on Him we will be in perfect peace (I’ve experienced this while touring the inside of the fiery furnace!). On the other hand, confusion and doubt, worry and fear – these come only from Satan.
So, in the end, finding the path is a fairly simple thing. When faced with a decision, needing to choose between two things and failing to recognize the obviously right option, I choose both – one at a time.
To illustrate…
My doctor told me I was pregnant and immediately informed me that he didn’t deliver babies anymore. I was instantly thrown into turmoil, not knowing who to go to, who I should trust with the delivery of my child. I began researching my options, which I had recently learned included midwifery, and writing out the pros and cons of each. Even so, I was still unable to make a decision. Then I remembered what I had been taught – “Be led by peace” – and decided to decide, and in deciding to see where peace might be found.
I decided to go with a doctor. Almost before the decision was fully made, my insides were churning. To say there was no peace would be to make a gross understatement.
So I decided again – this time to make an appointment with the midwife I’d been hearing about. Peace flooded my soul in that very moment.
I will not say the decision is always as clear. Sometimes both options bring peace. Since God authors peace and the devil cannot, I take this as a sign that both options are equally acceptable to God and the choice really is my own. Sometimes neither option brings peace. When this occurs, I start looking around for a third option, one I’d either not considered or had cast aside earlier. If there truly is no third option I look to myself, seeking out anything in me that might be blocking the peace God sends my way.
What I find could be fear, unforgiveness…any number of things, but put simply it is sin. Once I’ve dealt with the sin and go back to the options, sincerely choosing each in turn, one will almost always inspire peace, making itself clear as God’s choice.
I’m an organizer – a list person. I love researching my options and listing the pros and cons of them all, organizing my thoughts to the tiniest detail, but when the rubber meets the road and the decision must be made I would much rather let He Who Knows All make it for me, and then lead me forth in peace.
Just as damaging as a mad man shooting a lethal weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”
I have never appreciated pranks, as a rule, have never cared for the tradition of April Fool’s, and have always considered the phrase “practical joke” to be an oxymoron. That is all a result of my own conservative nature, of course, and I do not begrudge others their enjoyment of such things. What this passage speaks of, however, is something different, and when I stumbled across it in my daily reading I was glad to see that God feels as strongly about this as I do.
How many times have I heard, or heard of, something hurtful being said and then heard, “I was only joking!” follow as if those four words somehow made the lie or hurtful words okay? Too many times, of course, especially as the mother of boys.
It starts on the playground as little children tell other little children that they are going to do something to or for them or, worse yet, say hurtful things about them. Whether the lying child really is joking or merely expects, “I was only joking” to get him out of trouble, he is still lying, and in this translation God likens him to a madman shooting a lethal weapon.
The more I think about it, the more I see how accurate this comparison is. The Word says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Prov 18:21 KJV) It is interesting that death is mentioned first in this verse. I have read that if a person is told one destructive thing about themselves, they must hear seven constructive things to counteract it – or that one destructive word will bear fruit in their lives. I believe this because I’ve seen it time and time again. I have seen dreams destroyed – both those of children and adults – and I have seen people crushed, all by mere words. Often the hurtful words were intended, but many times they were not and the speaker would return later, appalled by the results they saw, and cry, “But I was only joking!” They may have only been joking, but the damage was done. How much better it would have been if they had not spoken the lie in the first place.
Yes, the man who lies and says, “I was only joking” really is like a madman shooting off a lethal weapon. He fires off destructive words without caution and destroys without knowing what he’s doing.
Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
God taught me the truth of this verse in a way I never would have anticipated, and will never forget.
I was in prayer. I don’t remember what I was praying about, but considering the lesson He gave me, I was probably complaining about not being able to see what was coming down the road. I’m not proud of the fact, but it’s true – I am Tammy Plan-ahead Cardwell and not being able to see what’s over the next hill has been known to drive me nuts.
So there I was, pacing, which I often do when I pray, and God answered me. “Tammy, you don’t have to see the road ahead. You don’t even have to see the next step. I see it all clearly. Trust in Me instead of your own sight, lean on Me instead of your own understanding and I will make your path straight even when you walk in darkness.”
My response was, of course, both brilliant and inspired. “Sir?” Thank God for His patience!
Have you ever felt God smile? I did, then. I could easily sense His loving, understanding amusement. “Close your eyes and walk.”
Now, it’s a scientific fact that one side of a man’s body is dominant over the other. Close your eyes and start walking and, given enough space, you will walk in a circle. I was in our church and didn’t have that much space; I veered and walked into a pew.
“Okay,” He said, “you’ve seen what happens when you walk in your own understanding. Now close your eyes and walk again, but this time listen to Me as you take each step. If you let Me lead you, putting your feet down where I tell you to, I will make your path straight.”
I followed His instructions exactly, though it felt terribly strange. In putting my feet down exactly as He told me to I felt as if I were taking each step wrongly – very wrongly. I had to fight my instincts, literally, every step of the way. He eventually told me to stop and look behind me, to see the path I’d taken. I had gone further this time – taken more steps – and the path I’d walked was as straight as if I’d had my eyes open and a line to follow.
I wish I could say I learned the lesson right then and there. Well, I did, but it seems I have to keep learning it. Just as I had to fight my instincts with every step I took in that walk, I must fight my fleshly instincts with every step in the walk of life. Sometimes it’s hard to trust in the Lord will all my heart, not letting even a small part of it hold back. I must continually remind myself that my own understanding is faulty and can’t be leaned upon – that it will lead me to walk in circles (like the Israelites in the wilderness!). Finally, flesh fights for what it considers its fair share, insisting I acknowledge it in all my ways, rather than Him. Still, I’m making progress, and every once in a while I’ll sense God smile as He says, “Now stop and take a look behind you, and see that I have made your path straight.”
So…no…I do not have to see the road ahead. I can even, as I trust in Him with all my heart, lean not on my own understanding and acknowledge Him in all my ways, walk a straight path through total darkness.
The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.
Okay, this is beyond my ability to understand. They were standing on sand – in the desert – looking at Canaan. It was bad enough that they didn’t just believe and obey God, following where He led. Even worse, they could not accept the beauty and bounty of the place He had called them to and chose to stay in the desert instead.
The desert! They chose to stay in the barren, dry places where there was only enough food and water for their massive numbers because God took care of them! They chose a life of wandering with no home, trekking through the desert (where God had to take care of them) instead of trusting Him and moving on over into the lush bounty of Canaan – which He had already told them would be theirs. Why?
I think the bottom line is that we humans tend to prefer the challenges we know. The challenges Israel faced in the desert were so familiar, and God’s care through those challenges so consistent, that they were (and I use the word in a skewed fashion) comfortable. In truth, I think they took God’s care in the desert so for granted that they hardly recognized it anymore. Stepping over into Canaan, though, would have meant trusting God to care for them in new areas and…oh…
Until then, God had done everything for them, or had Moses or specific others do it. They knew, though, that in Canaan they would be called upon to do something – to take up arms and fight for the ground God had promised them. They were like baby Christians who don’t want to grow up! Or, I suppose, it is rather the other way around – today’s perpetually babyish Christians are very much like these children of God.
When someone first turns his life over to God, He takes total care of them as if they were literal babies – answering every prayer instantly (like a parent responding to a baby’s cry) and often in astoundingly miraculous ways, but then God requires them to grow up – to start using and exercising their faith – to DO something…to take up arms and fight for the ground He has promised them. The funny thing is that God usually ends up fighting the battles for us after we take up arms to fight (just as He did for Israel once they actually crossed on over into Canaan); He just wants us to get up off our blessed assurance and move. But too many refuse. They aren’t willing to take up arms and step forward into His promises, trusting Him to take care of them through everything. No, they would rather stay in babyhood where they don’t have to do anything (but also can’t own or be anything); they would rather stay in the desert.
I’ve seen myself in Israel before, but until meditating on this passage I had never really seen their walk as a parallel to my spiritual walk; yet it is. What they did as a nation I may (or may not) do as a Christian – gaining or losing ground accordingly. Help me, Lord, to keep moving forward!
Reading on into verses 34-39 you see the consequences of Israel’s refusal to grow up. They thought they would be just fine if they stayed in babyhood, in the desert, but because they first disobeyed God’s call to move forward and then, when they did move, moved on their own terms…
When we disobey God in any way we are in sin, and unconfessed sin always has consequences. In their case, it became greater sin. (v. 34-39) “Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the lord had told them to. Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs. They worshipped their idols, and this led to their downfall. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan, they polluted the land with murder. They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the lord’s sight.”
It’s true; there is no such thing as standing still with God. We must continually move forward. It is also true that genuine obedience is doing what God says, when God says, how God says and all God says. Israel did finally cross over into Canaan, but even then they failed to do all God said – destroy the nations of the land. They let some remain and, because they did, they “fell” into horrible sin and later paid an unimagined price for that sin. God has great mercy, but (v. 43) “Again and again he delivered them, but they continued to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin.”
God was still merciful, and did deliver them in the end, but how different would it have been if they had obeyed Him, and fully, the first time? Where, for instance, would Israel be today? Where would I be today if I had always obeyed Him, and fully, the first time?
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.
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.
1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
This verse is foundational to all that follows in this chapter, so it warrants special attention.
One thing that comes to mind instantly is that this sounds much like Paul’s reference to our lives being “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Where else, after all, would one find the “secret place of the most High”? If we remain in Christ, we must certainly be dwelling in the secret place of the most High.
The condition is clear. Any promise given here is conditional on our choosing to dwell in the secret place of the most High. According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, the word “dwell” means, among other things, “to abide as a permanent resident, or to inhabit for a time; to live in a place; to have a habitation for some time or permanence.” The point here is definitely permanence; we cannot choose to merely visit the secret place of the most High, to come when it is convenient for us. We also cannot choose to live in the world (or our own flesh), only running to the Secret Place of the Most High when we find ourselves facing adversity. While we do have the option of running to the most High at any time, for this passage to apply to us we must dwell continually in His Secret Place. When we choose to walk away from His Secret Place, we also choose to walk away from all that is found there.
So one who dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High abides, or stays, under the shadow of the Almighty. Again, this is much like the New Testament reference to being “hidden with Christ in God,” of being sheltered and hidden under God’s own shadow, in His Secret Place. I have heard it said that when we are truly IN Christ the devil cannot see us; that all he can see is the Christ we are within. Throughout history God has hidden man from his enemies in a literal, physical sense; it takes little imagination to see that He does the same thing in the spirit realm when we remain where He calls us to be.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Second Corinthians 4:13 says that the spirit of faith believes and speaks. God said “let there be light” and light was. Would light have been if He’d only thought it? Well, in His case, probably so, but in our case, we must speak. So I will say this of the Lord. I will say He is my refuge. I will say He is my fortress. I will say He is my God. I will say I always put my trust in Him.
Sadly, there are many times we say such things and don’t believe them, but science has shown that we will believe our own voices more readily than anyone else’s. This can work to destroy us; when we speak something destructive often enough, we eventually believe it. Yet it can also be what builds us up and strengthens us against all opposition.
The Lord is my refuge. I do have a refuge to run to, a place of solace and safety. There is no need for me to fear that which pursues me because, like the child playing tag, I know that I need only reach that safe place. The difference between me and the child is that, as I run to my refuge, my refuge runs to me. So, in reality, the more appropriate illustration would be a child who runs to the safety of her daddy’s arms.
He is also my fortress. Some may think of a fortress and see a fort of the Wild West. Others may visualize impenetrable stone walls. To each the image is the same – complete safety, a place where one can eat, sleep, and live protected from the dangers of the outside world, a haven into which you can also draw others who are being pursued by the threats outside.
He is my God. I rejoice in being able to say this! He has claimed me and I have claimed Him. I serve Him and Him alone and actively work to ensure that I don’t put any gods ahead of Him. Nothing is more important than Him – not money or my job, not gaining the favor of men, not even my children or husband. He comes first in all things.
Any in my God I will trust. I choose to trust in Him. This is one thing some of us may need to remind ourselves of constantly because, to be honest, it can be hard. How many times have I placed my trust in another person only to see that trust betrayed? Too many. Eventually you may reach a point where the only one you really trust is yourself…and even trusting yourself can be a challenge. So it’s no surprise that man has so much trouble trusting God. Unless we are raised to such trust from childhood, we must first determine in our hearts that we will trust in Him. Like the little engine that chanted, “I think I can. I think I can,” we chant, “I will trust God. I will trust God.” This is a step of faith that we choose to take and I have seen, through more than forty years of actively walking with Him, that it is an act of faith He honors.
3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
“Surely” means “without a doubt.” I can stand in faith, not doubting for a minute that God will deliver me from the traps the enemy lays for me, from the “noisome pestilence” that comes my way. I can know this because I have chosen to live “in Christ,” to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Of course, I must choose to trust Him in this, to walk in faith in this area. If, instead, I fear the enemy’s traps, then I am walking in fear – not faith – and my own fear limits God’s freedom to protect me.
When I think of the snare of the fowler, the trap the hunter lays to catch the unwary bird, I cannot help but wonder how many times God has already delivered me from such snares without me having a clue. One can only imagine what His angels are doing behind the scenes, but I’m sure they’re being kept busy!
“Noisome pestilence” sounds terrible; definitely something you would want to be delivered from. In the margin of my bible, I’ve made the note “contagious diseases.” When looking at the original words in Strong’s, I find that it means, essentially, “ruinous plague,” which is pretty much the same thing. Later on in this Psalm I am assured again that no plague will come near my dwelling place as long as that dwelling place is the secret place of the Most High. Awesome!
4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
Anyone who has seen chicks run to hide under a hen’s wings can appreciate this promise. Think of it from the chick’s point of view. Here you are, huddled up next to your beloved parent. You hear the beat of His heart, smell His unique scent, are comforted as He enfolds you in His embrace. Except for, perhaps, a tiny hint of the outside world, all you can see, hear, and feel is Him. Yes, you will go back out into that world later, but for now you have refuge in the one place that you know beyond doubt will keep you perfectly safe.
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
His truth is the Word. In John 17:17 Jesus says to His Father, “Your word is truth.” The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit, a weapon, but it is also a shield. It is a piece of defensive armor that, if we keep it raised, will stop what the enemy throws at us before it can touch us.
This thought leads, inevitably, to Eph 6:16, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” God’s truth, His Word, and faith are eternally linked and undeniably powerful. It is something we have available for our use now and what we will live by forever.
We must bear one thing in mind; a shield only protects us when we use it and use it properly. Just as a warrior trains for a long time before he goes out to battle, and continually improves his skills even then, so should we be continually improving our ability to use the Word of God. As heavily involved in music as I have been up until recently, one parallel that comes to mind involves a man I know. This tremendous man of God can play every chord on the guitar, but he doesn’t know what to do with the chords. If someone stands beside him, telling him what chords to play and when to play them, he can actually play a song well enough for someone to sing to, but how useful is this ability? Likewise, we can have the entire Bible memorized from front to back, but if we don’t know how to use it, how to hold the shield of faith, how to wield the Sword of the Spirit, our knowledge is of little real use.
5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
The promise here is not that there won’t be any night terrors or arrows flying. It is, instead, that as long as we dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty – as long as we are hid in Christ – we won’t be afraid of them. We will have peace.
I can think of many “terrors by night.” Not surprisingly, terrorism comes to mind first, with things like thieves, rapists and murderers not far behind. The arrows that fly by day might be accidents or people slandering us. Verse six continues with…
6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Unknown dangers, early death, violence…these and more are covered by these two verses. Yes, I may know full well that these things are “out there,” but while in my refuge, while trusting in Him, I will not fear them. In today’s world, this is powerful.
7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
I’m not a huge movie watcher, but when meditating on this verse I envision a classic movie scene in which that one, important person stands in the midst of battle, protected by the valiant heroes that slay the wicked enemy on his or her behalf. We are very important people in God’s eyes, and we are surrounded by just such an army, a band of countless angels. Just as it was with Elisha’s servant when God opened his eyes and let him see the mighty army that was prepared to defend them (2 Kings 6:17), so it would be for us if God were to open our eyes likewise. And even more awesome than this is the truth that the Greater One Himself actually lives on the inside of us. “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) We need not fear the wicked armies when they surround us, because we who dwell in the secret place of the Most High will be protected and those wicked ones will receive their reward. I didn’t say it; God did.
9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Once again, in case we have forgotten, we are reminded that these promises are only ours if we meet the conditions: The Most High must be our dwelling place. If the Most High is where we live, eat, drink and sleep, then we have all of the great gifts offered in this oft-quoted Psalm.
10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Beside the second part of this promise, in my Bible, I have written, “West Nile Virus!” This is a seasonal plague that has threatened my part of the country more than a few times, and the mere thought of it strikes fear in the hearts of many. It is reassuring that, though plagues are not as big of an issue today as they were at other times in history, this tremendous promise remains. No plague, even one that makes the news nightly, can come near my home as long as I dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High.
11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
This truth is my shield at all times. For years, I prayed Psalm 91 (in the present, not future, tense) daily, but I prayed this specific verse even more often. As my son would leave to spend an evening with friends, I’d pray a quick, “Daddy, I thank You for giving Your angels charge over him, to keep him in all his ways.”
Angels are a big deal in the world today, but they’re an even bigger deal in the real world. Cruise the Scriptures and witness the power of the angelic forces that God has assigned to keep you, ask God to help you comprehend how very real they are. Ask that, like Elisha’s servant, your eyes be opened; even if you don’t see them with your physical eyes, seeing them with your spiritual eyes will give you all the reassurance you need.
12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
It was, believe it or not, catching a lizard that made me truly appreciate this verse. I was the only one in the office who was willing to even attempt catching the poor thing. Once I’d caught it (no mean feat!) I carried it ever so cautiously in my hands, both hands, until I was able to release it outside. I had created a sort of cage with my hands, so that it would be unable to get out, so that it would be safe from harming itself by escaping back into our offices where it would most surely have died of hunger. Remembering that, I think of the angels as truly bearing me up in their hands, shielding me in all possible directions and even protecting me from harm I might accidentally do myself. (“lest thou dash thy foot against a stone”) I very much appreciate this care.
13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Now here’s a promise that could set one back a step!
In the Scriptures, the devil is likened to both a snake and a dragon, so I see this as a promise about our authority over Him. The one who treads on a lion or adder without getting harmed truly must be the victor. The one who tramples the young lion and the dragon underfoot has definitely won the war. I am reminded once again that the devil only has as much power in my life as I give him. His natural position is under my feet, but it’s up to me to make sure he stays there.
14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:
I looked the word “love” up in my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and found that it means “to cling.” How interesting is this? If I love someone like God wants me to love Him here, I cling to them. Again, I picture a child clinging to her beloved father, the one she runs to at all times, for every possible reason. Whether we realize it or not, love isn’t a feeling (something we can fall into and out of), but is rather a verb – something that requires action. Here God reminds us of this truth. We are to set our love on Him. We must actively cling to Him, not letting go for any reason.
I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
My former pastor (His son is my pastor now) often reminded us that there are many different ways to know a person. We can know someone on sight, having never really spoken with them. We can know a man by name, having met him once or twice. We can know a woman as a casual friend. We can, we had better, know our spouse intimately. I desire to truly know God, to know Him as intimately as is possible, to understand what pleases Him so that I can be a blessing to Him at all times, to have within me that same heart that loves even the most unlovable.
I find it interesting that He says here that this promise is for the one who knows His name. I suspect that if we truly know His names then we also truly know Him. He has many names, and each one reflects a facet of who He is. He is I Am, which is a tremendous thing, a name that sets Him outside time. (I will later publish notes on John 8:58) He is El Shaddai, All-Sufficient One, Lord God Almighty. He is El Elyon, The Most High God. He is Adonai, Lord, Master. He is Jehovah Nissi, The Lord My Banner, The Lord My Miracle. He is Jehovah-Raah, The Lord My Shepherd. He is Jehovah-Rapha, The Lord That Heals. He is Jehovah Shammah, The Lord Is There. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, The Lord Our Righteousness. He is Jehovah Mekoddishkem, The Lord Who Sanctifies You, The Lord Who Makes Holy. He is El Olam, The Everlasting God, The God Of Eternity, The God Of The Universe, The God Of Ancient Days. He is Elohim, God, Judge, Creator. He is Qanna, Jealous, Zealous. He is Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Will Provide. He is Jehovah-Shalom, The Lord Is Peace. He is Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord Of Hosts, The Lord Of Powers. And He is so much more!
15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
I was in the midst of a serious battle when God spoke this as a rhema word to me. I had been searching the Scriptures for reinforcement for my faith and when I read these words God said, “I will deliver you, Tammy. Not only will I deliver you, but I will deliver you and honor you!”
Never before had I noticed that these two words are so close together! So often we settle for, “God, if you would just deliver me…”, but God is not the God of “just.” He is the God of more than enough!
“I will not just deliver you; I will deliver you and honor you!” When we examine the Scriptures, we see that He has a habit of doing this very thing. I recognized it first while reading the book of Esther. Haman had serious plans for the Jews in general and Mordecai in particular, but his plans were doomed to failure. God delivered Mordecai, both from the hangman’s noose and from the day of destruction Haman had planned, but God didn’t stop at simple deliverance. First He caused great honor to be given Mordecai, a public display that was inadvertently planned and carried out by Haman himself. Then, after Haman’s death, Mordecai was honored even more when he was placed second in importance to the king. God delivered him and honored him greatly!
Thumb through the Bible and you see where a boy who was sold as a slave by his own brothers was not only delivered, but honored and raised up by God to become a great deliverer! (Gen 45) You also encounter Daniel, whose complete trust in his God brought him deliverance, brought him honor, and caused a ruler to boldly decree that Daniel’s God must be recognized as the living God. (Dan 6) And then there are Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three youths who were thrown into the fiery furnace and came out smelling like roses (figuratively, of course, but they certainly didn’t smell like smoke – Dan 3). And, not coincidentally, every time God brought honor to those He delivered He also brought honor to Himself. To God be the glory indeed!
16With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
I was sitting in church with a brand new Bible in hand (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, AMG Publishers) and got curious about the notes on this verse. The first keyed word, in this Bible, is “long.” The Strong’s number (This Bible uses the Strong’s dictionary) is 753 ôrek, which means “length” or, as the center column notes explain, “length of days.” What really intrigued me when I looked at the definition, however, is that one of this word’s translations is “forever”.
Here is one more reminder that God thinks on a different level than we do. The life we live now is nothing compared to eternity, and in this verse God says of the one who dwells in Him, “with a long life…” or, “with a forever life will I satisfy him.”
“Satisfy wasn’t keyed in this Bible, so I pulled out my Strong’s Concordance later and found that this word is 7646 sâbae or sâbêae, which mean “to sate” or “fill to satisfaction.” I love cats, so my first visual impression on reading this definition was of a cat that has just emptied a bowl of its favorite food, licked its paws, and curled up into a contented ball to take a nap. One who is sated is truly happy and cannot imagine wanting or even being able to contain one more thing.
With a forever life will God completely satisfy you, filling you so that you could not imagine even one more blessing.
The word “show” is keyed in the study Bible I was using. This surprised me, considering the apparent simplicity of the word. In looking it up, however, I saw that the literal meaning is not “show,” but “to see.” I’m sure that in the Hebrew this makes perfect sense and after reading the definition and the list of words and phrases that the translators used when translating this one word, I am inclined to believe that it is something more forceful than “to show,” that its meaning is more along the lines of “to cause to see,” which makes perfect sense when you consider that this is God talking about the one who dwells in His secret place. He would not merely show this special one what He wanted him or her to see, He would ensure that they saw it.
And what is it that He causes us to see? His salvation! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill salvation we’re talking about here; it is HIS salvation. In fact, this Hebrew word, which means “something saved” or “deliverance” is so close in pronunciation to the Hebrew origin for Jesus that I had to go look up the name Jesus to prove to myself that He wasn’t promising to show me Jesus. The greatness of God showing us, causing us to see, HIS salvation, HIS deliverance, is not a thing to be taken lightly. It is, after all, the goal and purpose of all Jesus’ teachings, to deliver us into that perfect, forever life that God has planned for those who choose to dwell in the secret place of the Most High.
And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
Elijah is speaking to Israel here and theologians say Israel is a type and shadow of the church. It is not hard for me to see the modern day church in this chapter…and the seeing makes me tremble.
When God called Abram He did a new thing. Man loved to worship his gods – plural – and God was calling on this man to commit himself and his children to worship one God and only one God – Himself. Obviously, Abraham’s children failed to continue as they had been taught; it didn’t take long for them to do exactly as God had predicted (when He spoke with them before sending them on into Canaan), to turn after other gods and worship them.
Of course, Israel wanted to have it both ways. They wanted to have all of the benefits of serving God, but they also wanted freedom to serve the other gods they’d taken a liking to…even one called Molech, to whom they sacrificed their children. God, obviously, was not pleased.
Nor is God pleased today when we choose to serve other gods. They may not go by the names Baal and Molech, but they are here and we serve them. Yes, it’s been said time and again, perhaps so often that the hearers now roll their eyes and refuse to listen, but it is true – anything that has a higher priority in our lives than God does is a god. Be it money, work, children, baseball…whatever…if it draws me away from God (big G), then it has become my god (little g) and He says, “I will have no other gods before me.” In this chapter of I Kings it is only the prophets of Baal that pay the penalty, but the whole nation eventually paid by being cast out of their own country, taken into Babylon in captivity and scattered all over the world. How much more accountable are we, who have the potential for a relationship with God that they could only dream of?
I shared, last night, about the cashier who clearly didn’t understand the basics of percentage discounts. Had her math teacher witnessed the incident, he or she would surely have been appalled, and if her employer had seen? Hopefully someone can help her understand before it happens again.
As is common, God used this practical experience to remind me of a great truth. We must prepare for life ahead of time. The math lessons should have been fully learned before the customer stood in front of her with a 50% off item. Likewise, God tells us in II Tim 2:15 to study ahead of time: This is how we are prepared to face life events before we reach them. Whether it’s a sudden battle with cancer or an ongoing conversation about salvation, a question about which action would best please God or how to fight a battle, all of the information we need is right there, in His Word.
Yes, as some would say, His Word is at our fingertips and we can look it up, but a Bible won’t always be immediately at hand (as the cashier’s calculator must not have been) and the Bible you don’t know will be of limited help to you.
It is the math student’s responsibility to learn the difference between 40% and 50%, and know how to calculate both, however…it is not always the student alone who pays the price when she fails. (I paid an extra .25 because I wasn’t willing to give a math lesson.) When we fail to study God’s Word, to make it part of our lives, we pay… whether or not we notice the price being paid; and we are not the only ones affected. Those who surround us, those who come in contact with and are not helped by us… they pay a price too.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
Jn 15:7
I have no idea how may times I’ve heard this verse but, like every other verse in the Bible, it can speak something new every day. A year or so back, I grew even more determined to stay in God’s Word when I saw the true significance of one of the conditions that comes after “If.”
“If…My words abide in you…”
The Word of God must abide – live, dwell, and be firmly planted – IN ME in order for me to qualify for this promise.
This doesn’t just happen. It is up to me to seek out God’s Word, to go after the seed I want planted in me. I go after it by being in church and sitting under the teaching of the man or woman of God. I go after it by reading the Word for myself. I go after it by studying it on my own, participating in Bible studies, listening to the Bible app on my phone… Like any good farmer, I seek out quality seed and get it in the ground. (I also watch my heart to make sure the ground is good!)
Then, to ensure that it grows and lives in me, I nurture that Word. I think about it, chew on it, ask God to teach me through it. I record my thoughts and, yes, write blog posts. I also discuss what I’ve seen and learned with others who are cultivating God’s Word in their lives.
I WILL make sure His Word lives in me regardless, because I genuinely love both my God and the Bible, but it is good to know that in doing so I also work towards qualifying myself for the promise found in the fifteenth chapter of the book of John.
