September 26, 2013

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Deuteronomy 11:1-12

Melody Landry
Thursday's Devo

September 26, 2013

Thursday's Devo

September 26, 2013

Central Truth

When we are In the midst of doubt and uncertainty, God's message is to trust and obey Him, while reminding ourselves of the great things we have personally seen Him do.

Key Verse | Deuteronomy 11:7

"[B]ut your own eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord which He did." (Deuteronomy 11:7)

Deuteronomy 11:1-12

Love and Serve the LORD

You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline 1 11:2 Or instruction of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land, and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day, and what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place, and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel. For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did.

You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, 2 11:10 Hebrew watered it with your feet like a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, 12 a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

Footnotes

[1] 11:2 Or instruction
[2] 11:10 Hebrew watered it with your feet

Dive Deeper | Deuteronomy 11:1-12

At this point, the Israelites have seen, with their own eyes, God work in miraculous ways on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Once things got difficult, however, it's like they forgot everything God had done. They quickly grew weary, lost hope in God's plan, and walked away from His commands. This seems crazy! This also sounds a little too familiar to me . . . ouch.

This passage reminds me of a season of doubt in my own life. I grew up in West Texas in a small town and stayed close to home for college. After graduation, the Lord blessed me with a great job in Dallas, but that meant making the move to the big city where I only knew a handful of people and leaving behind my church, family, and friends. I really struggled with trusting the Lord in this new season of life. Looking back, He provided in ways I never would have imagined. For example, within a month of moving to Dallas, a friend convinced me to go on the Launch Retreat where I met my whole community group in my cabin (and have still been with them to this day).

The Lord blessed me with a great transition to Dallas through community, loving roommates, and a wonderful church home. I got to see His goodness with my OWN EYES. In seasons of uncertainty, it is so easy to forget how the Lord has already worked in our lives and to let fear and anxiety overcome our trust in Him.

God has done great things in each of our lives, and He isn't finished yet. The Israelites (and we) need a reminder, especially during the difficult times, that He has a plan for us and that we can trust Him.

Discussion Questions

1. What good things has God done in your life that you have seen with your own eyes?

2. In what areas do you still let fear and uncertainty overcome your trust in the Lord's goodness?

3. Take time today to write out and thank God for the good things He has already done in your life and go back to this list during the difficult seasons.