BIAY - Remember the Lord
Deuteronomy 8-10, Psalm 42
Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
Remember the Lord (Deut. 8:10-18) - This chapter reinforces the notion that God isn’t a genie who exists to grant our wishes, but instead both, as James writes, gives “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17), and disciplines us out of love so that we grow. Here, Moses is reminding the people that when God gives them the bountiful land that they are soon entering, their appropriate response is to remember Him worship and obedience. This is a dynamic covenant. The extraordinary provision and blessing are one-way, from God. It is not earned or deserved; it is a gift of sheer grace. Yet, faithfulness is expected. the Israelites part is to remember from whence that grace comes and honor the Lord who gives it.
Humility about the Promised Land (Deut 9:4-6) - The Israelites could easily get a big head about the land they will be entering. God will fight their battles. They will have a beautiful and bountiful land. Pride could creep into their minds—“We deserve this. We’re better than these people!” Yet this would be completely wrongheaded. God and Moses disabuse them of this idea in advance in no uncertain terms: “Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.” Ouch. So why is God giving them this land? Two reasons from this very text. One, as God said years prior, He is using the Israelites as His instrument of judgment on the wickedness of the nations there. For perspective, however, He will use other nations later in the Bible to bring judgment on Israel. Two, this is sheer grace. It is not based on works so that Israel cannot boast in themselves. Sound familiar? It should. This theme runs throughout Paul’s letters as the essence of the gospel itself and we find it right here!
Fear the Lord (Deut. 10:12-22) - We find a familiar refrain that brings together a variety of terms that all work together to express how we should relate to God. A way to embrace the term fear and get at its meaning and relevance is to consider my favorite animals to see at the zoo—the big cats. Do I have reverence for them? Sure. But yes, fear too. They are not tame; they are fearsome. It would be a terrible thing to find oneself on the inside of their cage. Yet imagine this surprise twist: That cougar or tiger or lion—pick your favorite—is on your side! Not because you’ve tamed it and gotten it under control; it’s just as wild as ever. No, it simply chooses to bless and benefit you. It takes up your cause. Amazing! Better still, while fear is a wise response to this sort of unbridled power, God loves and provides for you, and is therefore someone to love, obey, serve, and trust.
Questions:
When have you sensed the loving discipline of God in your life?
When do you observe we are most likely to attribute our good fortune to our worthiness rather than God’s graciousness?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, my soul thirsts for you, the living God. Whether I am up or down, I put my hope in you and I will praise you. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™