Deuteronomy 6-9

God’s message to me: The blessings we receive are not a result of our righteousness. They are the result of God’s love for us and His desire to give us the best. When those blessings come at the expense of others it is a result of their wrongs not our rights. If you really think your better than the rest try this test.

Promises: God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. This includes good things as well as bad. Easy conquest of the entire promised land would have left the Israelites in charge of a huge land they could not manage with their small numbers. God helped them conquer it a bit at a time as their numbers grew to manage it so that they would not be overwhelmed by the enemies or by nature.

Commands: Never make the mistake of believing your better than others because your a Christian. Your not better, just forgiven. Your not blessed for your righteousness but because your loved.

Timeless principles: I watched the TV show “LOST” last night and couldn’t help seeing a comparison to the bible. John Locke returned from the island and got in a car wreck. He ended up in the hospital where Jack Shepherd worked. He tried to get Jack to come back to the Island.

After everything that had happened and everything he had seen, Jack still fell back on empty skepticism to act as though nothing about any of it was special and the experience on the Island wasn’t real. The Israelites, and many Christians, are the same. Most of us have seen and experienced things that could never happen without God but, when push comes to shove, we routinely fall back on what we can explain. If we can’t explain it, measure it and prove it with ease than we refuse to depend on it until there is nothing else to depend on.

We often wonder how a loving God could let so many bad things happen to us but, when we really look at our lives, it’s impossible to miss the meaning. We don’t turn to God until we have no other option. God should always be our first option.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Here’s a suggestion. As you read through the bible and find passages of importance, write them down. Whenever you recognize a command you have difficulty following a promise you tend to forget, print it on paper and post it in a noticeable spot. My sister simply used crayons and markers to write these important passages on the refrigerator, mirrors, and other easily noticed spots. My wife and I printed them and taped them to similar locations. When we found a new verse that we had difficulty with we would replace one we had well committed to memory. Deuteronomy 6:9

more to learn for in-depth study: The descendants of Anak is another reference to the giants.

tomorrow: Deuteronomy 10-13