DAY 5
DATE: 1/5/13
Good Morning! My name is Jeff Tanner and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Deuteronomy 5-6.
KEY VERSES: Deuteronomy 5:1, 5:33, 6:2, 6:7 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. 33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess. 2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
REFLECTIONS:
We know Deuteronomy as the fifth and last book written by Moses, his work being known as “The Pentateuch.” This means “The Law / Instructions.” As we look at chapter 5, we see some very familiar text reviewed. In Exodus 20, the 10 Commandments are introduced. Here it seems that Moses is restating the importance of following those commands. Deut. 5:1 calls for the nation of Israel to do four things with these commands from God. They were to Hear them, Learn them, Keep them, and Do them. These commands were not given as a casual suggestion on how to live; they were instructions for life. God was instructing His people in how to walk in a manner that would be pleasing unto Him. When we walk as God would have us to, Deut. 5:33 shows the results. Who wants to live? Who wants all to be well with them? Who wants their days to be prolonged? The answer is simple: we all do. When we follow the will of God He blesses our lives. Was this covenant only for the generation that Moses was speaking to? Deut. 6:2 gives the answer to that question. We must remember that Moses was speaking not only to the people in front of him; he’s speaking to us also. They were to pass these commands along from generation to generation…Father to Son, Father to Son, Father to Son, etc. We are called to do the same thing. When faith stops being passed from generation to generation, faith dies. Chapter 6, verse 7 shows how important these commands should be to us. We are told to be DILIGENT about teaching them to our children. They are to be the topic of conversation while sitting in our house, walking by the way, the last thing we talk about before bed, and the first words of the day. Do we get the impression that this might be important?
Application: Question: Who wants God to bless their lives???? WE ALL DO!!!! Here’s the reality: God desperately wants to bless His children. However, that won’t happen when we are out of His will. God told these Israelite children how He wanted them to live. He has told us how He wants US to live. Does God expect perfection from us? Certainly not; but He does expect our best effort. Let’s give God our very best in 2013.
Thank you for being a part of Route 66. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Jeff Tanner
Saved: August 1975
Family: Wife Nancy
Occupation: Branch Manager, All-Phase Electric Supply
Life Verse: Ps. 139:23-24
VBC Involvement: Life Groups, Deacon Elect
Hobbies: Aviation, Old Cars, Good Food
Dream Vacation: Italy