Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. – Psalm 60:11-12
The post “By Our Side” is about Moses explaining to the people in Deuteronomy 9 that it is God who sets up success for the future.
This day with God, let us be assured of gaining the victory. Sometimes we feel that the world is too much. The load is too heavy but Jesus helps to carry the load. Our belief in Christ assures victory because we have righteousness and strength to finish like champs.
Celebrate with the song See A Victory by Elevation Worship. No one wins all the time because some are hamstrung … some are hobbled in life but with Jesus, all is won so see the victory and you will never fail as grace will give power for you to prevail.
This day with God will be amazing because we will learn from the past and will be reminded of how the ultimate victory is accomplished. Moses explains to the people in Deuteronomy 9 that it is God who sets up success for the future.
We may look back on our successes and believe it is through our own skills and abilities that great things were accomplished but this attitude brings on failure. The people of Israel are reminded by Moses of the golden calf and how they made God angry because they rebelled against Him. They did not trust or obey the way of God.
Think of the great achievements over the years in sports, in technology like iPhones, Internet, communication, and medical advances. All this greatness is easily destroyed with computer viruses and the transmission of coronaviruses if a society is not relying on God. The great inventions or achievements of this world are easily destroyed and are short term but our purpose for God is eternal.
I’m reminded of a story I once heard of Derek Redmond who tore his hamstring while running the 400m in the ’92 Olympics. Redmond’s father came down from the stands to help him cross the finish line.
Our Father in heaven is by our side when the going gets tough. We may become hobbled or hamstrung in life but through Jesus we have a connection with the Father and He is by our side to help us finish the race victoriously.
This day with God, be assured of victory only because of Jesus. It’s not anything we can do as individuals but only with grace through our acceptance of Jesus. With Jesus, we have righteousness and the strength to finish the race victoriously.
This day with You Lord, our plans on this earth do not always work out but You’ve given us a plan for victory. Your power is at work today and we have hope for the future. We see a victory in our future because of our acceptance of Jesus in our heart. Let us celebrate like champions today because our best days are in front of us. Amen.
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. – Isaiah 42:9
Studying and sharing thoughts from the post “Ultimate Lift”, the people of Israel went through difficult days as they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. The Lord humbled them to know what was in their heart but He was teaching them that He would provide if they remained obedient.
God kept Israel looking forward with hope as they headed to the Promised Land and He wants us to trust Him for the future. Let us use the memories of how God helped in tough times in the past to lift us higher so we will be optimistic for the future. His ways are higher because there is unlimited wisdom that is always near.
Take inspiration from the song Higher by For All Seasons. God will be your guiding light when things are not black and white. His ways are higher so let this thought give you a lift this day.
This day with God will be amazing because as we read Deuteronomy 8, we are reminded about what He has done in the past and look forward to what He will do in the future. He took negative situations and turned them into something positive. Out of intense difficulties, He makes simplicities emerge.
Israel went through difficult days as they wandered for forty years in the wilderness. God humbled them to know what was in their heart but He was teaching them that He would provide if they remained obedient. He provided manna for their physical needs but taught them that they did not live on bread alone but also on food for the soul.
Many times, it’s harder to maintain our relationship with the Lord in a time of prosperity rather than in a time of hardship. During prosperity, we feel we can stop depending on God and rely on ourselves. That is why we need to remember that God is responsible for all our blessings. We need to be reminded of what God has brought us through and give praise for all He does.
He kept Israel looking forward with hope. He promised that Canaan would be good land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills (v. 7). The land would be fertile to grow wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. The land would have natural resources with rocks like iron and they would be able to dig copper out of the hills.
The lesson for us is to use the memories of the past to give a lift and maintain hope for the promises of the future. To stay humble and continue to give God the credit for what we do have. The photo below is from the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo taken years ago.
Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo
After riding the rides, we went to a Joe Nichols concert and it was great weather. One of the hit songs by Joe Nichols is “Sunny and 75”. The memories we make give us a lift, the weather can give us a lift, and the ultimate lift is knowing that the future is bright because of the reward God has for all that believe in His Son.
This day, we remember the ways God has helped us through tough times. We work for You Lord today with a smile and trust You for the future. You give us the ultimate lift today as we have hope and dream about Your future promises knowing that You are near as we journey ahead in faith, power, and confidence. Amen.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading and sharing some thoughts about the first few chapters of the book of Deuteronomy. The Bible is all about gaining wisdom because we are learning from the past, praying in the present, and listening for instructions toward the future. Keep up with my spiritual journey over the next few weeks either through following this blog or the Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey. Let’s share thoughts or ideas about applying our faith in current times.
History shows us that the good things that happened were directed by God. In the post “Perfect Way”, Moses uses history and experiences to build confidence for the future. As we look back on history, we see that it was the times when we trusted and obeyed God that things fell into place for our benefit.
The post “Purpose in Every Step” documents the life mission of Moses. He had brought the Israelites out of bondage and then it became time to hand over the leadership to Joshua. It’s important to focus on the purpose God gives us in our life. To start on the journey and never give up. If everything is not accomplished during your lifetime, God may use what we have set in place for others to finish.
We learned more about the incentive for obedience to God in the post “Rewards for Obedience”. The Israelites were blessed when they followed the commandments of God and the ultimate reward was the Promised Land. Obedience continues to be the wise choice in current times because with the invitation to accept Christ as Savior, there are blessings that ever wait for those who activate the power of their faith.
The focus of the post “Step Ahead on the True Path to Liberty” was how the Ten Commandments can put order into our lives. It is through order that we have a path to liberty. When we pay attention to the Word of God, we’re not filling our head with impracticable concepts but we’re giving direction to our daily tasks and a road map to our dreams.
The post “Love the Lord with all Your Heart” was about relating the Word to our interest. Every conversation we have, every book we read, and every song we hear can have a lesson we can learn and be used as building blocks along the path to a brighter future for ourselves and those we know.
A take away from “Worship the ONE Who Brings Blessings” is that God responds to those who love Him. The result is rational thinking and principled living which adds to the fabric of an elevated society with blessings that extend to better health, security, and a thriving economy.
The reading plan below will be used to hold me accountable in sharing about God’s word over the next few weeks. As I share about my study, it’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Christ as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with God amazing!
Questions for Reflection
Deuteronomy 8 – What has the Lord taught Israel during the wilderness experience? What experiences in your life has God used to humble you? How are the Israelites to regard its natural resources? Why is it harder to maintain our relationship with the Lord in a time of prosperity rather than in times of hardship?
Deuteronomy 9 – How is Israel’s potential self-righteousness dealt with in this chapter? To what extent do you cite your morality or services as the basis of your success? What is wrong with this attitude?
Deuteronomy 10 – What is revealed here about the character of God (relate his attributes to Moses’ commands of fear and love)? How can the teaching in today’s passage affect your attitude towards all people? In what way is God your praise?
Deuteronomy 11 – What past signs of God does Moses refer here? What will be the outcome if they keep His commandments? What is the role of parents in handing over God’s plan for us? (See vv. 6, 7, 20)
Deuteronomy 12 – What is the difference in the Canaanite gods and the Lord God? What is to be their attitude in worship? To what extent are these attitudes important today?
Deuteronomy 13 – What are the areas of enticement here? In today’s culture, what and who entices you from God? What happens when we are enticed away from God?
Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 