Passage of the Day:
You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit, 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. 12 And there rejoice before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14 Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you, Deuteronomy 12:8-14.
Reflection:
As Moses prepares Israel to enter into God’s promised land of Canaan, he makes an interesting statement. Israel spent forty years wandering in the wilderness mainly because everyone did and lived as they each saw fit. No one appears to have taken the Ten Commandments serious. During the days when Israel was led by a series of Judges, a leader points out that everyone did that which was right in their own eyes, Judges 21:25. This is the context that inspired Moses to urge Israel to rest in God’s presence.
Prayerful Action:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28.
Building Up Bible Believing Behaviors:
I have a hard time slowing down in life, always reminded by everything I want to accomplish on my days off. However, if I’m constantly going and fail to rest in God’s presence, I’m following the same path as Israel, doing as I see fit. Perhaps, this is why the director of music wrote down the words to Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Don’t just rest in God’s presence when you have problems. Rather, slow down once a week to reflect upon God’s power, promises and presence.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
I discovered I Give Myself Away during the Coronavirus Pandemic. When I started to play the attached song daily, I was reminded to rest in God’s presence, trusting in Him amidst the plague brought upon mankind, Proverbs 3:5-6. Make resting in God’s presence a weekly habit.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 