Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 11
Helpful thoughts:
- The heart of the encouragement and command in verses 18-20 is to have the Word of God in front of you often in order to impress it into your hearts and minds, that it would continually shape your thinking, desires and actions for good.
- In a time and culture when nations often worshiped and pleaded with false gods to provide rain and harvests, God reminded Israel who their true provider was (and always will be).
- Moses did not minimize the importance of knowing and following the Word of God.
- To pursue knowledge and obedience to the Word was to choose blessing.
- To neglect pursuing knowledge and obedience to the Word was to choose cursing.
- There is no middle ground mentioned. Passivity, busyness, distraction, or lack of interest would not result in neutrality. The options given were blessing or curse.
Questions to consider:
- Be encouraged by the command to Israel in verse 2 to take some time and consider what the Lord has done. Who is He? How has His power been displayed? Who is it that we worship and serve? Why is He worthy of our love and affections?
- What are the ways (besides this devotional) that you put the Word of God before your eyes? Where can you see it? Hear it? Speak it? What are some creative ways to continue feeding on the Bible routinely?
- Who would Israel be tempted to worship to get the rain and harvests they wanted if they turned away from pursuing the Lord (Verse 16)? In our culture, to what/whom are we prone to turn for our needs and wants? Who does our society think is responsible for our provision (Who gets praised or blamed when things go well or poorly)? Who are the “gods” of our culture? Why should we remain faithful, turning to the Lord?