Deuteronomy 23:15-27:10

In “miscellaneous laws,” I catch a glimpse of His heart.

For mercy and protection of others.  “If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. ¹⁶ Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them.” (Deuteronomy 23:15-16, NIV)

Honor and glory. To honor your body and your life as a way of honoring God. “No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. ¹⁸ You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.” (Deuteronomy 23:17-18, NIV)

Kindness. Kindness within the family of believers. “Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. ²⁰ You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.” (Deuteronomy 23:19-20, NIV)

Integrity, following through, trustworthiness. “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. ²² But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. ²³ Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.” Deuteronomy 23:21-23, NIV)

I’m learning that when I listen to others, I learn so much about them. What fires them up. What they value. Where their heart is.

When I read through the Bible, do I rush to get through a passage? Do I skim for a key word? Am I looking for something for me? Something happens when I slow down; when I start a passage over because I know I was rushing; when I sit with the language and listen. Am I looking for a tidy checklist, or am I looking for His heart?

The Old Testament becomes so fresh when I sit and listen. I learn so much about God. What fires Him up. What He values. Where His heart is.

Father God, I don’t want to walk away from my time with you not learning more about you. I’m trying to be a better listener. I’m learning to shush my voice so I can hear you. What if I were to give you the silence and the space to tell me what you want me to know, instead of filling it with noise (people’s opinions, debates, commercials, music, or my own assumptions)? You are so patient with me. Thank you.

Courtney (66books365)

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Deuteronomy 23:15-27:10

Today’s verses speak of respect, kindness, mercy, generosity, justice, integrity. They may seem like a long list of rules, but I want to remember, they served a purpose in shaping the character of God’s people. Instead of just listing do’s and don’ts, there’s a why and a how to drive home the point, so they know what it (respect, kindness, mercy, generosity, etc.) looks like in action.

¹⁰ When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into their house to get what is offered to you as a pledge. ¹¹ Stay outside and let the neighbor to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. ¹² If the neighbor is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge in your possession. ¹³ Return their cloak by sunset so that your neighbor may sleep in it. Then they will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 24:10-13, NIV)

The rules were sometimes followed by this reminder, to remember who they were and where they came from before the Lord redeemed them.

¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. (Deuteronomy 24:18, NIV)

It would be so easy to skim the reading as a bunch of rules, but there is a deeper meaning here, about humility, dignity, and character. About remembering what God has done and celebrating his goodness. About extending his kindness and mercy to others. It is about living set apart.

¹⁶ The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. ¹⁷ You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. ¹⁸ And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. ¹⁹ He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised. (Deuteronomy 26:16-19, NIV)

Father God, this reminds me: I need you every day. I need the transforming power of Your Spirit and Your Word. I don’t want to live unchanged by your grace and mercy.

Courtney (66books365)

2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Romans 4

I have a purple buff/gaiter that I sometimes use as a head covering when I work in the yard. It’s different from the others I have because if I try to stretch the fabric from top to bottom, it doesn’t budge. But when I take hold from the sides and pull, it stretches. It seems odd that a fabric can be pulled one direction, but not the other. And it’s probably odd that I think of that when I read the scriptures today.

In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21, David takes a census.

Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him (2 Samuel 24:1, NLT); and Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1, NLT).

I note how sin has a far-reaching effect–this act carries a consequence touching thousands. Of three possible outcomes, a plague strikes the land taking lives of 70,000 people.

I think of a fabric being pulled and stretched, yielding and groaning to a force. But when I read Romans 4, I see a fabric that doesn’t budge. That doesn’t stretch. That holds by its integrity. And I am reminded again of the great power of faith, the great gift of God, immovable, that maintains its posture.

¹³ Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. ¹⁴ If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. ¹⁵ For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

¹⁶ So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. ¹⁷ That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. (Romans 4:13-17, NLT)

²⁰ Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹ He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. ²² And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ²³ And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded ²⁴ for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. (Romans 4:20-25, NLT)

When I feel stretched and pulled by battling emotions, I want to remember this truth that should weaken every struggling thought and urge to silence. What if I spoke aloud: Courtney never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, her faith grew stronger, and in this, she brought glory to God. She was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

Lord, thank you for lessons in fabric that hold their shape and integrity. Thank you for this word today, recorded for my benefit too, assuring me that you will count me as righteous if I believe in you. Greatest gift ever, a faith that glorifies you.

Courtney (66books365)

2 Chronicles 29; Revelation 15; Zechariah 11; John 14

I chose the word “value” as my word for the year. I think of how my thoughts, perceptions, and actions were influenced by it. I noticed that even though I may value the same things as other people, our approaches to (and even definitions of) things/concepts valued were sometimes very different.

Last week, I read about a coming battle (2 Chronicles 20:13-17), and while the Lord fully intended to fight that battle, the warriors were still called to show up and hold their ground. I remember that today as I read Hezekiah admonishing the people:

¹¹ My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.” (2 Chronicles 29:11, NLT)

Then Hezekiah proceeds to call out the men by name. They all set to work with a common goal, and there was rejoicing because the work was completed so quickly.

Jesus tells the disciples,

¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. ¹⁸ No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. ¹⁹ Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. ²⁰ When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:15-21, NLT)

Lord, thank you for helping me to get clear on what I value. I sit with you now to get clear on my heart. Help me to push past the obstacles that hinder me from obedience and focus. Help me to live and love in action and in truth.

Courtney (66books365)

2 Chronicles 10; Revelation 1; Zephaniah 2; Luke 24

“If you don’t know, then you don’t know.” It’s a phrase a friend captions online on shared images of movies or other images from the past. Some of the images I don’t recognize at all, and think to myself, I guess I’ll never know (unless I wanted to ask, and I don’t feel I need to). Some things I don’t need to know, and some things I do.

The Bible reminds me book after book of all the things God said would happen. Reminds me so I will know what He said would happen actually happened, so I will know His Word is truth.

Like here:

⁵ The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

⁸ Then they remembered that he had said this. (Luke 245-8, NLT, emphasis added)

And here:

²⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. ²⁶ Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” ²⁷ Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27, NLT, emphasis added)

And here:

¹⁵ So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of God, for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. (2 Chronicles 10:15, NLT, emphasis added)

I open His Word like it’s a gift of life itself–with hope, comfort and gratitude. Some people are fortunate to have parents or mentors to speak wisdom and guidance into their lives. But for me, it is a great treasure to have the Bible, Word living and active. His Word is truth. Trustworthy. Sound.

This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, ² who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

³ God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3, NLT)

If you don’t know, then you don’t know. But you can know.

Lord, you’ve made known (and available) all that you want to make known. You give your word to us–a promise. All through time, you’ve made movement toward man to be in relationship and restore what was broken. You’ve demonstrated your power, sovereignty, faithfulness, trustworthiness, integrity. I can take you at your word. I will run to you, turn to you, seek you. Thank you.

Courtney (66books365)