Deuteronomy 27:1, “Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, “Keep all the commandments which I command you today.”

For forty years Moses had led the children of Israel in the wilderness. Now he was an old man; Moses was tired and worn out both physically and emotionally. He knew that because of his disobedience to God that he was not going to enter himself into the land of Promise.
In one of his last acts on this earth Moses prepares the Israelites, his children, to live a Godly life without him. He reminds them that although he may be gone the promise of God remains for those who follow His commands. They are not reliant upon him, but must keep the Law themselves to be made right with God. That is what a Godly father does he prepares his children for the future that awaits them.
Jesus Christ came to this earth as God in the flesh, and He like Moses spent His years in ministry leading people to the Promised Land, but unlike Moses He assured His children that He was going before them to prepare a place for them. When Jesus told the disciples how they would get to Heaven He said in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”The 3 years that Jesus was on this earth in ministry He spent preparing His followers on how to live a life that was pleasing to God and would lead them on to a successful life after He had departed. Jesus told His followers, and us, that love is the answer. When He was asked by one of the Pharisees about the greatest, most important, command of God Jesus replied with love. Matthew 22:36, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’38″This is the great and foremost commandment.39″The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’40″On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
As the loving Father Jesus Christ prepared us for a life without His physical presence and showed us how to get to the future that He prepared for us. The Promised Land that awaits us can only be reached when we love as He loves!!!!!!!!!!

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Father, I thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your Son, and I ask that You help me to love others in the way that You loved me. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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Deuteronomy 22:3, “…You are not allowed to neglect them.”

Many times in todays society we get the idea, “Whats mine is mine, and what’s yours is yours”. Sometimes we can be a lot like Ebenezer Scrooge, and not just during Christmastime; but all year long. We get so focused on our own life and worries that we forget that their are other people around us.
God spoke to the Israelites through Moses that they should never get so focused on their own problems that they neglect the people around them. In a sense God was reminding them that as long as they were helping others then they would never be alone. Isn’t that what we all desire to be with others in a communial way. The best way that we can get and keep a sense of community and belonging is by remembering these commands of God. That we should not neglect our neighbors.
Jesus Christ also reminded us that we should always think of others, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”The Golden Rule, Matthew 7:12, is something that many people follow even some who have not called on the name of Jesus realize the value of treating others with respect. When we learn to treat others as we would like to be then we will find a whole new sense of belonging.

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Father, I thank You for helping me to understand that my esteem can be built as I follow Your Word and help others. In Jesus name, Amen
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Deuteronomy 18:13, “You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.”

God does not expect much out of us, just perfection! That’s right we are supposed to be “without blemish” when we come before God. He will not accept the sacrifice that is imperfect in any way, and we read in Romans 12 that we should give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.
I’ll do the best that I can for God, but I”m not perfect. Besides, look at the examples we have from Scripture. Beginning back with Abraham, sure Abraham trusted God enough to move to an unknown land, but when he got scared of the Egyptians he gave his wife to them to protect himself, Genesis 12:12, “…when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife ‘; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13″Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.” 14 It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh ; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.”
David was the great, triumphant king of Israel. The Bible even calls David a man after God’s own heart; surely he’s someone we can look up to I mean he has a personal reference from God! Even David would not be a great example of living a blameless life. I’m sure many of you know the story of David’s affair with Bathsheba, and the subsequent murder of her husband.
Can we find no one who is blameless before God? Maybe we can skip to the New Testament.
In Matthew chapter 4 Peter was one of the first apostle’s Jesus called, surely he will break the record of imperfection set by the Old Testament heroes. In my opinion I think Peter did a really good job. He came closer than anybody ever has to breaking the flawed line of imperfect humanity set by the Old Testament heroes, but in the end even he fell flat on his face. He denied knowing Jesus; not once or twice but three times.
I have searched the Scripture, and that blemish free sacrifice that God requires is not found in any person. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10, “…THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE ; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD ; 12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS ; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” 13THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS “; 14″WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS “; 15″THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN. 18THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
God is not looking for the perfect person because He knows that person does not exist, outside His Son, but He is looking for the perfect heart. The heart that desires to honor Him, and offer the blemish-free sacrifice He requires. Which can only be found in His Son!
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Father, I thank You for not looking on my imperfections, but instead seeing the perfection of Jesus’ sacrifice. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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Deuteronomy 13:11, “Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.”

There are some commands by God in the Bible that just totally baffle the human mind. In the verses just prior to these God command’s the slaughter of any person that tries to draw us away from Him. I can understand why some people say that there is a God of the Old Testament full of wrath and judgement, and another God that Jesus spoke of in the New Testament full of love, mercy and forgiveness. I’ll be honest some commands that are given by God do not sound very loving, but they are given to us to prove His love not His wrath.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:7,”Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks ! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come ; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes !8″If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.9″If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you.It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.”That does sound like a loving God. God who created us loves us so much that He gives us a warning, and a command to get rid of anything and everything that interferes with our worship of Him because we must come to Him without any interference, and the reward that we will get is far better than we can imagine.
While He was talking with the woman of Samaria Jesus said in John 4:23,”But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth ; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.24″God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God desires true, undiluted worship and nothing else will do. On the cross of Cavalry He gave us His best, and He expects nothing less from the children He saved.
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Father, I thank You for loving me with a neverending love, and I ask that You help me return that love in an acceptable way. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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Deuteronomy 12:8, “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes ; 9 for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you.”

When I read this I got a chill because I saw a picture of the American Dream, and it was not pretty. In fact I believe that now the so called American Dream is polar opposite to the desires of God. One song that truly captures the idea of the Dream is “I did it my way” by Frank Sinatra. In that song he exalts the idea of people making it on their own. “I’m doing such and such because I want to” is a very popular idea in the world at large. As a race, humans are not looking for someone who tells them what to do, but in reality that’s what we need. I understand that’s not a very popular idea, but I do have an example of how bad this world is when humans try to lead. Just watch the evening news!
The Israelites were going into the land that God had promised them, but before they went He reminded them that they must obey Him if they were going to receive His blessings. Today, we seem to have an idea that the blessings of God are our rights. We go and say a prayer to receive Jesus and then poof all the blessings of God are ours. In reality it doesn’t work that way. When we pray to receive Jesus then we do reach the Promised Land, but just like the Israelites discovered it takes some work if we are going to get the full benefits that God offers.
Just like God told the Israelites that they should not live their way when they get into the promised land we cannot do it our way and be blessed by God. The Israelites were warned by God, and we should heed this warning, that if they did not follow the commands of God they would not receive the blessings of God.
Following God is not a one trick pony. We do not pray for salvation, and get the full benefits of God’s protection; but if we are faithful to Him we will receive His blessings.
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Father, I thank You for loving me enough to remind me tell me that I must follow You to receive the blessings that You offer, and I ask that You help me follow You even when my mind doesn’t want to. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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