365 Reflections

Deuteronomy 9:4–5 (ESV)   “Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. 5 Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Israel is a blessing to our lives in many ways we do not understand. One of the ways is how Israel serves as a real life parable for the nations that God, not us, is the faithful One who keeps His PROMISES. Thankfully, He does not depend upon our actions to do what He said He would do.  Israel would be taught by Moses that God is acting in response to the ...

The promise to Abraham in Genesis 12: "I will bless you and make your name great... All nations of the Earth will be blessed through you." Centuries later, the children of Abraham are on the cusp of having their own land where they could live out the blessing of God on a particular people, so that other nations would see and hear of the goodness of God and turn to Him! In Exodus 23, God is about to send them in... And He says: Exodus 23:20–22 (ESV)   “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries... Exodus 23:25–26 (ESV) You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness...