Chances are that you have had to bear the consequences of somebody else's actions. It's bad when our actions affect ourselves, but it's even worse when they affect other people. Unfortunately, the sin of Achan cost a lot of lives for the Israelites, and there's a great lesson that we can learn here. So often sin isn't as personal as we ... [Continue Reading]
Whose Side? (Joshua 5-6)
Before entering Jericho, Joshua happens to run into the Command of the Lord's Army and asks him a question. Whether or not Joshua recognized who he was is uncertain, but that didn't keep Joshua from asking if the man was for Israel or for Jericho. The answer was kind of funny: neither. As the Commander of the Lord's Army, he was fighting ... [Continue Reading]
Getting Your Feet Wet (Joshua 3-4)
As it comes to faith, there are just certain things that are unknown: that's why it's called "faith." In the case of the Israelites crossing over the Jordan River, they were required to take a step of faith into the water, and it wasn't until the soles of the feet of the priests touched the water that they would be able to move forward. ... [Continue Reading]
Freedom (Joshua 1-2)
There's a temptation to think that the Book of the Law is a bad thing, but such is not the case. In fact, we're often very quick to look at laws and rules as oppressive rather than as freeing, but wisdom is found in the latter view rather than in the former. This idea is fresh in my mind because, as I was running down the road last week, I saw a dog ... [Continue Reading]
My Refuge (Psalm 91)
I love Psalm 91:2, "I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'" When there is nowhere else to turn, we can turn to the Lord for our protection. God is not a god who spun the world to existence only to leave humans to figure things out on their own. He is a God who cares deeply for His people. ... [Continue Reading]
Leaving a Legacy (Deuteronomy 31-32, 34)
The end of Deuteronomy is both depressing and encouraging. It's depressing because Moses is informed by the Lord about the future of Israel - they will fall away from Him, and they will suffer as a result. That isn't good news for someone on his day of death: that the nation he tirelessly led is destined for ruin. At the same time, Moses had ... [Continue Reading]
Which Road? (Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 19; 29-30)
In this portion of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the Israelites that there is really just one major choice in life, and that one choice has two options. The first option is to follow the Lord, to obey His commands, and to live for His honor. The second option is to become like the neighboring, pagan nations. The second option offers unbelievable ... [Continue Reading]
Learn to be a Storyteller (Deuteronomy 11-12)
As Moses restates the Law (literally, Deuteronomy means "second law"), he does a lot to remind the Israelites of their history and where they've come from. As philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It's important to be a storyteller because people need to remember ... [Continue Reading]
What is Your Life Centered Around? (Deuteronomy 9-10)
As Moses continued giving what I consider to be the "final instructions" to the Israelites before they were to enter the Promised Land, he listed something else of great importance. He told them they were to fear the Lord, walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him, and keep His commandments. In other words, their lives were to be centered around God and ... [Continue Reading]
By Whose Strength? (Deuteronomy 7-8)
Moses was reminding the Israelites of the importance of remembering their past: how God had made promises to Abraham, how God redeemed them from slavery from the Egyptians, and how God brought them into the Promised Land. And in truth, God didn't just bring them into the Promised Land, He provided for them every step of the way: they had food to eat, water ... [Continue Reading]
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