Deuteronomy 1-3; Psalm 36; Luke 5

I bet after forty years of circling that mountain, it was pretty familiar territory. The Lord was telling them to move on.

⁶ “When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. ⁷ It is time to break camp and move on (Deuteronomy 1:6, NLT).

I consider these verses in light of change and challenge.

²⁹ “But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them! ³⁰ The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. ³¹ And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’ (Deuteronomy 1:29-31, NLT)

He looked for the best places to camp and guided with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

⁶ If you need food to eat or water to drink, pay them for it. ⁷ For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’ (Deuteronomy 2:6-7, NLT)

David’s psalm touches on good and evil. And I know from Deuteronomy (and my own life), God goes before me. He fights for me. He is just. I find peace in his goodness.

⁵ Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
⁷     How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see. (Psalm 36:5-9, NLT)

I can trust him. Oh, if he is willing, will I not be healed?

 ¹² In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

¹³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. (Luke 5:12-13, NLT)

Or:

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? ²³ Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? ²⁴ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man^[d] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

²⁵ And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” (Luke 5:22-26, NLT)

If he says to go out deeper, will I not see his miracles?

⁵ “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” ⁶ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! ⁷ A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

⁸ When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” ⁹ For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. ¹⁰ His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” ¹¹ And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:5-11, NLT)

Lord, I live in wonder and delight of you. Thank you for your faithfulness, love, provision and protection. Thank you for fighting for me and loving me tenderly and deeply.

Courtney (66books365)

 

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Num. 2; Ps. 36; Eccles. 12; Philemon 1

I was talking to another mom yesterday about a situation in her life, and I asked her if she prayed about it. I admitted that I don’t always pray about the things in my life; and I wondered if I thought my stuff was too big for God–like a situation seemed so impossible or complex, there was no hope. I think that’s where the enemy wants us–feeling powerless and hopeless. It seemed silly to consider that–especially when I looked all around me and all that I saw GOD CREATED. Was there ever anything too complex for him?

Numbers 2–tribes lined underneath family banners, and the last paragraph is a refrain: exactly as the Lord instructed; as the Lord commanded; as the Lord commanded.

Psalm 36–glimpsing into the heart of evil; conceit; no fear of God; they can’t see who they really are; plotting; and no attempt to turn from evil. I almost get lost in what seems hopeless, until these words direct me higher:

⁵ Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
⁷     How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see. Psalm 36:5-9 NLT

Mighty God. Unfailing, faithful, righteous and just, caring, sheltering, providing, life and light. Is there really anything so complex you can’t handle?

Ecclesiastes tells me again and again, to honor God and remember him.

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” ² Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. ³ Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

⁴ Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

⁵ Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

⁶ Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. ⁷ For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 NLT.

Lord, I want to enter each day remembering you–not only for what you have done, but for who you are and what you can do. My problems and concerns are not too great for you. I want to walk confidently in the plan you have for me, because I trust you and I know that you love me. You are faithful.

Courtney (66books365)

Psalms 36, 37, 38; John 12:1-26

It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly. Psalm 37:16-17

I wonder what comes to mind for some when they hear the word godly. Perfection? (I’m not.) Better than others? (Um. Not me, either.) Super holy? (Sinner, here.) Maybe looking into my life some days wouldn’t impress another: laundry mound to be folded; crumb pile in the corner to clean up; nerves fraying at the 50th “hey mama?”; Barbie accessories like landmines on the floor, piercing my feet … not to leave out annoyance, occasional scowling, impatience. Oh, help me if godly is having it all together: the house, the kids, the relationships, the yard, the answers … in the name of Jesus.

Maybe godly is the state of seeking God. Looking for God when you are on the verge of collapse: like David, afflicted and in despair to the point even loved ones and friends stayed away, afraid to catch his disease (check out psalm 38). David was a man known for having a heart for God. He was not a guy for whom everything went right–he cries to God often at very low times in his life. But his thinking–while acknowledging his sin, his trials, his worries–points to God. And though a king, he did not have it all together: the marriages, the kids, the answers … but he knew where to turn for help.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24

In my day-to-day dealings, Lord, I hope to find myself (more often than not) seeking you. The psalms speak of trusting you, delighting in you, committing everything to you, being still in your presence. They declare your unfailing love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice.

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see. Psalm 36:7-9

Thank you for giving and loving so completely.

Courtney (66books365)