Remember the road

Today: Deuteronomy 8-10

I've never been a fan of cheesy inspirational posters. You know, the kind with a picture of a country road and big type at the bottom that says something like "Vision." Typically, I also avoid cliche inspirational comparisons like, "Life is a journey." However, perhaps some things are cliche because they communicate ideas in way most people can tangibly relate to.

If I were to describe life as a journey, I would say that sometimes the road has serious potholes--the kind you can drive over in a small car (like my faithful-since-college Ford Focus) and wonder, "How did I not lose my tire in that?" The road of your life may have some fatal collisions, traffic, dead possums and dog poo (did I really just type that?!?). However, it might also have kind drivers who help you change your flat tire on the side of the road in the rain. It may have police officers who help you navigate some rough spots. Sometimes you might be in the carpool lane with some pretty amazing people. And at times, it may feel like you're driving in the sun on a freshly paved expressway with nothing holding you back.

Do you ever take time to remember the road--and reflect on how you got to where you're at today?

In today's passage, Moses repeatedly encouraged the Israelites to "remember the road." More specifically, he instructed them to remember God's intervention, provision and miracles along their journey through the desert. Let's refresh by taking a peek at these verses:

Remember every road that God led you on

for those forty years in the wilderness,

pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of,

whether you would keep his commandments or not.

He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry.

Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about,

so you would learn that men and women don't live by bread only;

we live by every word that comes from God's mouth.

Your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister those forty years.

You learned deep in your heart

that God disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child.

So it's paramount that you keep the commandments of God, your God,

walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him...

And here's a different part of the passage:

...So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you?

Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence,

follow the road he sets out for you,

love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you,

obey the commandments and regulations of God

that I'm commanding you today—

live a good life.

Sound familiar? This passage ties closely to some of the other themes in recent passages (see my blog site for the last few if you're interested). In these chapters, God (via Moses' message) isn't just encouraging the people to remember the roads they've been on--He encouraged them to remember His miraculous faithfulness, guidance and correction. I believe this instruction isn't about focusing on the past, but learning from it--it's about turning away from mistakes, living in obedience and most importantly, trusting in God all along the way. And you don't even need a cheesy poster to do that. :)

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 11-13

The good life

Today: Deuteronomy 5-7

When you picture "the good life," what you see?

At the beginning of each new year, many people start dreaming about what that good life means to them. They believe life will be good when they finally lose weight, find a new job, meet Mr. or Ms. Right, raise amazing kids, and/or win the lottery.

I wonder how many people aiming for the good life start by saying, "I'd like to be more obedient"?

Most people don't aspire to be more obedient, but according to today's passage, obedience can sometimes be a precursor to a good life. Take a look at Moses' message to the Israelites:

Listen obediently, Israel.

Do what you're told so that you'll have a good life,

a life of abundance and bounty, just as God promised,

in a land abounding in milk and honey.
Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!
Love God, your God, with your whole heart:

love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!
Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts.

Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.

Talk about them wherever you are,

sitting at home or walking in the street;

talk about them from the time you get up in the morning

to when you fall into bed at night.

Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder;

inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

Love, love, love this passage!

I should be clear and say that I don't think "the good life" discussed here always includes Scrooge McDuck-style piles of money (I'm showing my generation. If you've never heard of Ducktales or Scrooge McDuck, I don't know if we can be friends...just kidding of course!), love, beauty, health, etc. A life of obedience to God could lead to some of those things, but more importantly, I think it leads to a healthier heart. A life of obedience leads to things like peace, joy, compassion, integrity, character, honesty--the qualities really worth aspiring toward.

Best of all, a life of obedience to God strengthens your relationship with Him. It's an approach not based on "What can I get from God?", but rather "The God who loves me so much deserves my everything--I want to give Him all I've got. I'll start by trusting Him enough to obey His instruction."

When we dream of the good life, let's consider what it really means--and how obedience to God can help us live it.

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 8-10

The Bachelor and the wandering heart

Today: Deuteronomy 3-4

This is my most dramatic post ever...

Okay, maybe not. But I am going to talk about a television show that regularly uses similar phrases. Can you guess? That's right, dear readers and friends--today we're going to talk about "The Bachelor."

One bachelor + twenty-five beautiful bachelorettes = A ton of drama. I don't know what it is about the show, but periodically, "The Bachelor" sucks me in. Maybe it's because I love people--and the show is all about interesting people (some are pretty funny, actually!) put in interesting situations? Or maybe it's the drama of one person with so many choices...or on the flip side, the idea of being one person chosen from among the many options?

As fascinating as it is (sometimes), I actually dislike the show at its core. My matter-of-fact sister may have put her finger on it when she said, "The Bachelor's concept is fatally flawed. One guy with 25 girlfriends does not a monogamous husband make."

Of course, I laughed when she said it. But I think she's probably right (with perhaps a few very rare exceptions). The best relationships are based on trust--and how can you honestly trust someone who "has strong feelings," dates or kisses 24 other people while simultaneously "falling in love" with you?

That said, I think being the Bachelor or the Bachelorette would be tough, too. Call me a little bit traditional, but instead of having 25 great options, I'd rather have the clear choice of one AMAZING guy who completely ignored or forgot about all the other choices available to him. I'd rather have that amazing guy decide to choose, pursue and love me first (and preferably, not in front of millions of viewers!).

Believe it or not, I thought about "The Bachelor" when I read today's passage. In these chapters, Moses is still in the midst of his message to the Israelites (what I referred to yesterday as the Cliffs Notes summary of their journey through the desert). Take a look at this part:

What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them

the way God, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us?

And what other great nation has rules and regulations

as good and fair as this Revelation that I'm setting before you today?
Just make sure you stay alert.

Keep close watch over yourselves.

Don't forget anything of what you've seen.

Don't let your heart wander off.

Stay vigilant as long as you live.

Teach what you've seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.

The line, "Don't let your heart wander off" grabbed me today. Ultimately, God's greatest desire (and commandment) is that we would love Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. But like the Bachelor, our hearts are often tempted to wander...to other things or people, the gods of our world.

Why would we choose other options, when the very best--God Himself--has clearly chosen and loved us first?

It sounds crazy, but it happens. This passage calls God jealous--not because He's mean-spirited, but because He deeply loves us (with the purest kind of love that totally surpasses romantic love). Still, our hearts wander...to money, other people, jobs, habits, ourselves, sports, music, false spirituality...you name it. Whenever your heart wanders, remember this:

But even there, if you seek God, your God,

you'll be able to find him if you're serious,

looking for him with your whole heart and soul.

When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you,

in future days you will come back to God,

your God, and listen obediently to what he says.

God, your God, is above all a compassionate God.

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 5-7

God in the Cliffs Notes

Today: Deuteronomy 1-2

Through most of my academic career, I refused to use Cliffs Notes. And then I had to read Crime and Punishment (a fitting title!). I read the entire book, but the Cliffs Notes helped me capture the gist of it and review the key elements before testing.

Have you ever wondered what the Cliffs Notes of your life will look like?

In the whole span of your life, what at the key moments, days and milestones that will mark your history--or at least the Cliffs Notes version?

In today's passage, Moses gave a sermon to the Israelites that I saw as the Cliffs Notes version of their time in the desert. There were several great and several terrible moments in the message. But God was present through it all. I particularly liked this section describing Moses' response to the 12 spies who first viewed the Promised Land:

I tried to relieve your fears: "Don't be terrified of them.

God, your God, is leading the way;

he's fighting for you.

You saw with your own eyes what he did for you in Egypt;

you saw what he did in the wilderness, how God,

your God, carried you as a father carries his child,

carried you the whole way until you arrived here.

But now that you're here, you won't trust God, your God—

this same God who goes ahead of you in your travels

to scout out a place to pitch camp,

a fire by night and a cloud by day to show you the way to go."

I love what Moses was doing here--reminding the people of God's faithfulness in their own lives. We all need those reminders periodically! God is always there, but in certain moments, we doubt Him.

I hope that in the Cliffs Notes version of my life, there is more faith than fear, less doubt and more trust--because someday, I want people to see God in those Cliffs Notes.

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 3-4

God's neighborhood

Today: Numbers 35-36

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

If you're like me, those words remind you of a childhood favorite. That's right, ladies and gentlemen--I'm talking about the great Mr. Rogers!

When I was little, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was mesmerizing. When Mr. Rogers looked at the camera and spoke directly, I felt like he was talking to me. It was like...magic. He knew I was watching and listening to his every word. (All right, maybe not. It felt that way, though!)

Mr. Rogers' neighborhood was a wonderful place. Do you ever wonder what God's neighborhood is like? Would you be surprised if it looked a lot like yours?

If you're really confused right now, I don't blame you. Take a look at a verse from today's passage:

"Don't desecrate the land in which you live.

I live here, too—

I, God, live in the same neighborhood

with the People of Israel."

Hmm...interesting, huh? Heaven is definitely God's homebase (so to speak), but He's also omnipresent (He can be anywhere and everywhere at once). That means that He may be right where you're at.

In context, His instruction to refrain from desecrating the land was an instruction for the people to avoid the pollution of sin (namely, murder).

If God really lived in your neighborhood--or even in your home--would you do some things differently? Would the atmosphere change? What would the relationships in your family or community look like?

He may be there right now as your best neighbor. What can you do to stop any pollution in the environment?

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 1-2

Preparing for the Promise

Today: Numbers 33-34

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

It's a famous saying, but is it the best approach to life?

Based on this passage and some life experience, I'd argue that it's not. If you have hope, faith or a dream, you have to have hope, faith or a dream for (or in) something...a picture of the eggs before they hatch, if you will. In the best case scenarios, the picture you have is a God-given picture (like Abraham's "count the stars" moment we read about awhile ago). Even though the picture isn't yet real, it can help propel your life in a different direction.

In today's passage, God instructed Moses to divide up the Promised Land...before the Israelites had even conquered it! He gave them clear guidance on the borders of the land and appointed leaders to manage the land distribution. The people were well prepared to occupy the Promised Land before it was officially theirs.

Is there a promise that you can prepare for? A God-given picture that you can not only pray for, but plan for? Go ahead...start counting those stars. They're better than chickens anyway.

Tomorrow: Numbers 35-36

When sin is a stalker

Today: Numbers 31-32

When my sisters and I were growing up, our parents always encouraged us to be honest and open with them by saying things like, "The truth always comes out." At moments while growing up, I thought it was a Christian parent's way of saying, "I have eyes in the back of my head."

But I think they were right: The truth always comes out...eventually. If it doesn't happen on this planet, God knows the truth and, for better or worse, it will come out in heaven.

In today's passage, Moses had an interesting discussion with a few tribal leaders who wanted to settle outside the Promised Land...but promised to fight and help the rest of God's people take possession of it. Here's what Moses said to them:

"If you do what you say,

take up arms before God for battle and together go across the Jordan ready,

before God, to fight until God has cleaned his enemies out of the land,

then when the land is secure

you will have fulfilled your duty to God and Israel.

Then this land will be yours to keep before God.
"But if you don't do what you say,

you will be sinning against God;

you can be sure that your sin will track you down.

So, go ahead. Build towns for your families and corrals for your livestock.

Do what you said you'd do."

Moses' words saying, "...your sin will track you down" are interesting. It's makes me think of sin as a stalker--a type of ninja detective on the hunt to capture people. Although through Christ's forgiveness, we can be free from the sin's eternal consequences (e.g. we can escape Hell), I think sin's ability to track people down does impact Christians.

One of the primary reasons is because there are natural consequences for sin. For example, if I lie to my parents, God still loves me and forgives me, but my parents may be hurt and have a hard time trusting me. If you had an addiction to drugs, God may still have a place for you in heaven, but you might have to overcome some challenges (rehab, relationship issues, physical effects) as a result of that addiction.

Another reason the stalker nature of sin impacts Christians? Guilt. I've met some people who carry guilt from sin they were involved in years ago. They asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them and forgot that sin even existed, but they continue to live in a guilty kind of fear, stalked by their past mistakes. I believe God would say to these people, "Shame off you!"

Lastly, sin can stalk our lives by throwing temptations at us. Luckily, we all have the power to say no to those temptations and/or we can try to avoid them entirely.

Although sin may be a stalker, it's important to know that for those who simply believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation, Jesus overcame the eternal consequences of our sin once and for all. And to top it off, He can help us to fight against sin and its power over our everyday lives--if we simply ask Him for help. God can help us walk in freedom and wisdom, doing our best to make decisions and live in a way that honors Him. We'll never be perfect, but at least we can try to knock out our stalker. I'm off to practice ninja moves... :)

Tomorrow: Numbers 33-34