Passage of the Day:
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess, Deuteronomy 30:11-16.
Reflection:
As I was walking my dog Akira this morning, the Holy Spirit filled me with a vision for the final 2 weeks of August. According to the gospel authors, Jesus encountered numerous lost souls. If you read between the lines, several of these individuals struggled with temperance. Perhaps, some of these were prodigal sons and daughters who reached a low point in their lives. According to Luke 15:16-17, these are the crossroads in life that bring about change. The prodigal son came to his senses and realized the error of his way. This is the first step toward spiritual change in your life.
Prayerful Action:
But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess, Deuteronomy 30:17-18.
Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:
Today’s featured passage comes from a portion of Moses’ farewell address to Israel. As he passes the baton of spiritual leadership to Joshua, Moses condenses life into two choices. The decision to choose obedience leads to blessings and life. The latter choice is essentially rebellion against God, leading to death and destruction, Matthew 7:13-14. Jesus points this out near the end of His Sermon on the Mount. As the summers slowly fades away into fall, make an effort to make Jesus the top priority in your life so that this next season in 2024 will result in spiritual change.
Song of the Day:
May the lyrics of Supernatural inspire you to place your full faith and trust in the Lord, Proverbs 3:5-6. While change does take time, making godly decisions will result in a season of change in 2024.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 