Our Actions Have Consequences!

Reading:  Deuteronomy 25 -34
My Verse:  “If you will not be watchful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may [reverently] fear this glorious and fearful name [and presence]—THE LORD YOUR GOD— Then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary strokes and blows, great plagues of long continuance, and grievous sicknesses of long duration" (28:58,59).

This final passage of Deuteronomy is an amazing appeal to the Israelites, and to each of us.  It spells out how we are to respond to You , LORD God.  You lay out all the consequences of good behavior and bad behavior.

It is interesting that so many studies reveal that a person who follows the general tenets of your laws tend to live happier and more productive lives.  They tend to be healthier and live longer.

However much this world wishes to deny You, LORD God, it cannot deny this.  Sin wears away at the very fabric of ones being.  You created us to be followers of You.  You created us to know right and wrong.  If we live as though this were not a truth then we suffer the consequences mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

When we are dealt a grievous blow, we react to it with all of our being.  We cannot isolate one part of ourselves from another.  You impress upon us the importance and truth of this concept by stating  this most important law in Mark 12:29-31.

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

It is clear that we cannot live disconnected lives without ill consequences.  One may appear to be able to carry on for a while but eventually our very being gives in to the stress of this wrongness.  Things begin to go awry either emotionally, mentally, spiritually or physically - eventually affecting all areas of our lives.  We may be able to hide our sin, our little aberration from the world for a time but it does not stay hidden forever.

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).

Many times people would say that they don't really understand Your Word LORD God.  We often want to plead ignorance but You tell us that Your guidance is right there for us.

“For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off. It is not [a secret laid up] in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it?  Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it?  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it" (Deuteronomy 30:11 - 14).

No, as the studies reveal, the tenets of your law permeate our very being.  Our actions have consequences, and we must live with those.  LORD God, I am so grateful for Your loving mercy and graciousness to us.  For you do forgive and You do make those consequences of our sin bearable once we have asked Your forgiveness.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Transvestitism

Reading:  Deuteronomy 22, 23, 24
My Verse:  "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an  abomination to the LORD your God" (22:5).

On first reading this, it seems a bit unreasonable.  We often wear  clothing made for the opposite sex.  Some clothes are even made to be worn by either.  However, looking closer at this and the context in which it was written, one gets more meaning from this seemingly simple statement on cross dressing.

Apparently, in the pagan temple there were transvestite practices associated with pagan temple prostitution.  The people of Israel were always warned to avoid any of these pagan practices.

Also on reading all these chapters one sees that Your purpose, LORD God  in all these warnings to the people is to point them toward order.  You want them to know that You created the universe and all the creatures within it.  You created male and female.  There is a specific role for each to play.  There is an order and rightness in Your creation. "And God saw everything that he had made and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).  Then Your final act of creation was to create for Adam a wife, a woman.  This was a good thing, a right thing. 

The Merriam-Webster definition of transvestite is: a person and especially a male who adopts the dress and often the behavior typical of the opposite sex especially for purposes of emotional or sexual gratification.  So a transvestite does not put on clothes meant for the opposite sex as a matter of convenience.  It is done for the express purpose that does not meet with God's purposes, order and rightness.

I was at a department store where there was a transvestite at the counter.  It bothered me greatly.  I could not go to the counter to ask for help because I found it distasteful to interact with this person.  There was such a wrongness about it to me.  Afterwards, I felt badly.  How am I to deal with these individuals?  They are Your creation as well as I am LORD God.  They need You as much as any other person. 

It is difficult but I believe You love them, too. However, You do not condone their behavior and neither should I.  I can pray for them and witness to them if an opportunity arises.  I can only follow Your leading in this, LORD God.  I am thankful that I can do that.

"For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death" (Psalm 48:14).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God Goes With Us!

Reading:  Deuteronomy 20, 21
My Verse:  "Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint.  Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them for the LORD your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory" (20:3,4).

These are sweet words - words that show how much You care for us, LORD God.  You care if we are afraid, if we have plans and dreams, if we are ready to meet You!  Your love and providence shines through in this passage.

First, You tell us to not be afraid for You are with us. You will give us the victory no matter what the odds are of us coming through the battle!  I do like that.  Too often we spend time analyzing all the possibilities of victory of getting through a problem intact.  To some extent this is good because we are preparing ourselves but we must, must remember that You are our Saviour.  We must remember that victory depends solely on You.  Help me in this LORD God.  When I am struggling with a problem I tend to forget that.  I get caught up in the struggle.  Help me to keep my eyes on You, knowing and trusting that You will guide me.  You will show me clearly if I am even to enter into the fray.

I really like how You direct the officers to weed out those that should not go to battle.  You tell them to send home those that have just bought a house, planted a vineyard, or married a wife.  It is understood that these are not ready for battle and so should not be in the army.  This not only shows how we need to be ever sensitive to You, LORD God as to what battle we are to take on.  It also shows that there should be no shame in it - in not participating.  So often the pressure to take part in something that seems good is so strong and one does so even if it doesn't feel right to that person.  Thank You, LORD God for this teaching here. 

Then You tell the officers further, "Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted?  Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own" (20:8).  How wonderful this is.  I am reminded of how during WWI, Britian had this policy of shooting anyone of their own soldiers if he panicked and tried to flee.  What a tragic policy!  According to these directions, those soldiers should not even have been in the battle, they were not fit for it.  Not everyone is cut out to be a soldier.  You know this and made provision for it.  This also brings to light that being "fearful and fainthearted" is actually being disobedient to You.  Those that are in this state of mind have not come to trust You fully with their lives.  Because they are disobedient in this way You do not want them in Your army.  Not only is it not good for that person  neither is it good for those around that person, as they will be infected by his unbelief - his fear.

What a good lesson for me.  How I need to be ever vigilant in my walk with You.  I need to be constantly tuned in to Your leading and guiding in my life.  Only, You, LORD God are my confidence because You go with me "to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory."

"So we can confidently say, 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me" (Hebrews 13:6)?

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Did God Really Say That?

Reading:  Deuteronomy 17, 18, 19
My Verse:  "And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the LORD has spoken?' when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.  You need not be afraid of him" (18:21.22).

 Oh, LORD God, this is pretty clear!  So often we struggle with whether or not something is true.  We hear so many things, things that make us wonder.  Is this person speaking truth?  Can we believe whether a prophecy, dream, prediction is true?  The test should always be "if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken."  No hit and miss here.  No second chances!  No guessing accepted.  There needs to be 100% accuracy! If not then You, LORD God did not say it!

Everything that we hear should be, must be filtered through Your word the Truth!  You tell us that Your word is truth.

""Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth" (John 17:17)

"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6).

 "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever" (Psalm 119:160).

"The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He" (Deuteronomy 32:4).

It is said that to recognize counterfeit money one has to know the real thing.  To know the real thing one has to study it, spend much time with it, handle it often.  So it is with Your Word and Truth, LORD God.  We must spend much time with it, read it, study it, handle it often.  Only then will we have even a chance of recognizing whether or not something someone says is truth!

As a believer I also have Your spirit within me to guide me, to made me sensitive to what is of You.

"And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you"(I Cor. 3:16)?

Finally, I can pray, beseeching You, LORD God to keep guard over me.  For You have promised me that You will keep me until that day when I am in Your prescence.

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock" (Psalm 27:5)

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

I should not worry overmuch about what people say. I  must have confidence in You and in Your keeping me from false sayings.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!



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