March 21, 2012

SCRIPTURE

Joshua 9:14

The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.

OBSERVATION

This short and to-the-point verse comes as Joshua and the Israelites were taking over the land of Canaan.  They had defeated the towns of Jericho and Ai as per God's instructions - He had told them to clear the land of everyone there and make it their own.  Another local tribe, the Gibeonites, heard of the defeat of those cities and lived in fear of being destroyed.  They devised a plan wherein they would send out a party of men disguised as being from a far-off land.  They wore dirty and torn clothing, carried stale and moldy bread, and used wineskins that were old and patched to imitate the effects of long travel. They presented themselves to Joshua and the Israelites and said, "Make a treaty with us!".  Joshua questioned them about where they were from and the Gibeonites lied, saying they were from far away.  They said, look at us, look at our clothing, we've come so far to meet with you!  And so the Israelites, although suspicious, believed them.  In the verse I chose here, it says "they sampled their provisions", meaning they checked out the moldy bread and sour wine and saw their patched clothing, but they "did not inquire of the LORD."  They made the treaty with them, then later found out that the Gibeonites had lied, and still they had to honor the treaty in spite of God's command.

 

APPLICATION
How often do I forget to inquire of the LORD when faced with a challenge?  I can think of SO many times when I wrestled with a decision and I, for whatever reason, didn't consult God.  Sometimes it worked out, but often it didn't.  Now, it's my belief that God speaks to us mainly through his Word, so when thinking of consulting God I do mean going to Him in prayer, but I also mean consulting His life manual - the Bible.  Pray for wisdom and for the Holy Spirit to help you to see clearly, but consult the Book for what to do.  God has given us this enormous gift that details pretty much every single situation you could think of, and what was done and how it turned out.  In reading these stories we can fathom the heart of God on any question.  It just takes some familiarity with the Word, some prayer, and some wise people with whom we can review what we see before us.  It's just so sad that we ignore this incredible resource sometimes.  (I know, I'm harping on the same subject as last week...but it's been really clear to me lately just how important it is!)

PRAYER
God, lead me to wisdom.  Keep your Spirit active in me, guiding me to consult You in all things.  Help me to understand that I can inquire of You in all situations, at all times, and You will be faithful in setting my path clearly before me, step by step.  Let me think first of You when faced with any decision.  In Your Son's name, Amen.

More information about Joshua:  http://biblica.com/niv/study-bible/joshua/

March 14, 2012

SCRIPTURE

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 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?” 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?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

OBSERVATION

This is God speaking through Moses to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the land of Canaan.  God was being very specific in Deuteronomy and reiterating his law and commandments so that the Israelites would be fully prepared to follow Him completely in the land that He had given them.  He repeats this theme throughout the book - in fact I had originally had several additional passages picked out to write about:  Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 11:18-21, and 29:29.  They all deal with God stressing to His people the importance of knowing what He expects from them, and actually doing it!  Again and again He tells them that He knows they are a "stiff-necked" people (stubborn) and that He is giving them these laws for their good.  What He is saying is just that knowing His word enables us to follow Him, so...learn it.

APPLICATION
I think of my own resistance to committing verses to memory and wonder why.  The verses that I have memorized I refer to constantly; in counseling myself during inner monologues and in speaking with others - it's so obviously beneficial, but I struggle with the discipline of learning more.  God says here that He has given us this immeasurably precious gift in order to help us, to keep us close to Him.  He has placed it at our fingertips, knowing the human tendency toward laziness and justification of bad behaviors.  We have no excuses.

PRAYER
Holy Father, I thank you for giving us this amazing gift.  A how-to manual for life!  I praise you for your grace and forgiveness for us all.  Please stir in me a deep hunger for Your word - give me the strength of will to overcome all distractions and lack of discipline and grow in me the template of how to live my life for You, by planting your very thoughts in me.  In Your Son's name, Amen.

More information about Deuteronomy:  http://biblica.com/niv/study-bible/deuteronomy/

March 7, 2012

SCRIPTURE
Numbers 33:50-56 - On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, ⁵¹ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, ⁵² drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. ⁵³ Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. ⁵⁴ Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.
⁵⁵ “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.

Deuteronomy 7:25 - ²⁵ The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God.

OBSERVATION
I chose these two passages in conjunction because they really seemed to me that they could be one thought in the mind of God.  The Israelites were at the end of their 40 year exile in the desert and were told by God to go to the promised land of Canaan and overtake it.  What's key to me in these words is God's stress on the idea of cleansing the area first.  In Numbers 33:52, He says to destroy the carved image and their idols, and that is repeated in Deuteronomy 7:25.  Then, in Numbers 33:55 He gives a strong warning:  "If you do not drive them out, they will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides - they will give you trouble in the land where you live". 

APPLICATION
This speaks to me in the way that we have to change our ways to be a Christ follower.  When we first commit ourselves, there are dangerous inhabitants in the land where we live: our sin patterns and the idols we have surrounded ourselves with.  Even as a more mature follower there are things we allow in our lives that corrupt us and distract us from the ways of God, things that are detestable to Him; things we are ensnared by.  That sentence:  "they will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your side" resonates so clearly when I think about bad habits I have that really are barbs and thorns.  I have never been one to advocate shunning the world around us because of its sin - I think that in order to execute the Great Commission we really need to be foot soldiers on the ground who understand the culture that is enslaving the lost, so I don't think this verse applies to actually weeding out every person in our lives who is a sinner (there would be no one left!).  When I think of its application it seems more that it is a symbol of removing those bad habits and patterns we have that we think are too insignificant to bother with.  Instead, it is saying that if we allow ANY of those to live with us without resistance, we are encouraging their growth and their negative impact on our happiness and our relationship with God.

PRAYER
Father, root out in me all my patterns of sin and my habits that are detestable to you.  Bring them to the light so that I can see the damage that they do.  Help me to clear my soul of the things that ensnare me and keep distance between us - give me strength to overcome the desire to ignore the small details, because all details are important to You.  Give me the courage to face the things I'd rather not think about, the dark places of the soul, so that I can become the Godly woman you created me to be.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

More information about the book of Numbers:
http://www.biblica.com/niv/study-bible/numbers/

More information about the book of Deuteronomy:
http://www.biblica.com/niv/study-bible/deuteronomy/