A Nation of Forgetters

Day 97 Deuteronomy 31:1‐32:27; Luke 12:8‐34; Psalm 78:32‐55; Proverbs 12:21‐23 A Nation of Forgetters We are a nation of forgetters. The flood of information that assaults us every day is often named as a reason. Attention spans and memory are shortened by TV and other entertainment and diversions that provide an unbroken chain of sensory…

Beautiful Idols

Day 96 Deuteronomy 29:1‐30:20; Luke 11:37‐12:7; Psalm 78:1‐31; Proverbs 12:19‐20 Beautiful Idols The idea of law in the Near East was not unique to the Hebrews. Law collections existed 500 years before Moses. The Pentateuch expresses a variation of these traditions called a suzerainty treaty. A suzerain covenant was granted by a powerful and independent…

Think Before You Speak

Day 95 Deuteronomy 28:1‐68; Luke 11:14‐36; Psalm 77:1‐20; Proverbs 12:18 Think Before You Speak “Rash Words (ouch) are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise man brings (ahhh) healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Remember the phrase “open mouth insert foot”? Guilty! Once harsh words are said, you can’t take them back, you can only live…

Laws of the Heart

Day 94 Deuteronomy 26:1‐27:26; Luke 10:38‐11:13; Psalm 76:1‐12; Proverbs 12:15‐17 Laws of the Heart In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses writes the words “…follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.” It certainly is one thing to follow the laws of the Lord and quite another…

Reverence and Obedience

Day 90 Deuteronomy 16:1‐17:20; Luke 9:7‐27; Psalm 72:1‐20; Proverbs 12:8‐9 Reverence and Obedience Today’s reading from Deuteronomy leaves no doubt concerning the expectations God had for His children. Though they had fallen, He presided over their restoration with meticulous care for fear that they would lose their way because of ignorance and spiritual blindness.  We…

Where Is Your Faith?

Day 88 Deuteronomy 11:1‐12:32; Luke 8:22‐39; Psalm 70:1‐5; Proverbs 12:4 Where Is Your Faith? Jesus asks the disciples, “Where is your faith?” after they wake Him up because they are afraid their boat was going to capsize in the storm. There is their faith, Jesus! They knew if they woke you up all would be…

Ears That Hear

Day 87 Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Luke 8:4-21; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3 Ears That Hear Our Old Testament reading continues today with Moses rehearsing some scenes of Israel’s recent past – some scenes that, most likely, they would rather forget. Don’t we all have such scenes in our lives? But, thankfully, in addition to the mistakes in…