March 16, 2012 … God Is With Me

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 17-20 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

============
Highlight Passage #1 of the Day: Reference of #1 Highlight Passage for Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 17: 14-20 … To study this passage, go to this link -
============
Highlight Passage #2 of the Day: Reference of #2 Highlight Passage for Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 18: 9-14 … To study this passage, go to this link -
============
Highlight Passage #3 of the Day: Reference of #3 Highlight Passage for Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 18: 15-22 … To study this passage, go to this link -
============
Highlight Passage #4 of the Day: Reference of #4 Highlight Passage for Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 20: 1-4 … To study this passage, go to this link -
============

My Journal for Today: Wow! Each morning when I come to this place, my closet of worship, I pray for God, through the chronological Bible reading plan to which I’m committed this year, to give me something special. In other words, I’m asking Him to highlight something which He can use to grow me into His image or something from His word which I can use to disciple someone else who might need that highlighted truth. Each day He comes through for me.

And, … as you can probably tell from the multiple passages I highlighted above, there was a lot from the reading of Deuteronomy, Chapters 17-20 which I could have blogged for my own journal entry today. In fact, I’ve highlighted and linked four such passages above for any disciple here to go back and study. Let me comment briefly on the first three; and then I’ll go more into a little more depth on Passage #4.

Passage #1 from Deut. 17- 14-20: In this passage we have a great discussion of the need for Godly leadership for God’s chosen people. God knew that His people were going to call for a king one day; and so, the Lord prophetically laid out the boundaries for such an anointed office, even though God would have not preferred the people have kings. Think how badly we need to have true, GODLY, leadership in today’s church, in our nation, and in our world.

Passage #2 from Deut. 18: 9-14: The Israelites had a history of conforming to the ungodly habits and traditions of the cultures with whom they intermingled and especially intermarried. God knew they were going to enter a land where pagan practices like child sacrifice were practiced. So, in Passage #2 we see God’s warning to avoid child sacrifice; and He charged HIS PEOPLE to replace such ungodly practices with the worship practices He would institute. Think about the application today with the hideous and ungodly practice of abortion, which is perpetuated to worship the idol of convenience and selfish desires. And make no mistake; … God is going eradicate this ungodly cultural practice … somehow, … in His way and time; and may God have mercy on us when He does.

Passage #3 from Deut. 18: 15-22: God sent Prophets to be His messengers, forward from the days of Moses, to be His voice of truth to the people. These called and God-anointed Prophets held an a recognized office in those times; and the last and greatest of these Prophets was prophesied by Moses (in Deut. 18: 15) to which Stephen, the first martyr of the New Covenant, referred to when he proclaimed Jesus was The Christ [see Acts 7: 37]. Although we don’t have the “office” of PROPHET in the New Testament church, we do have Christians who have the Spirit-endowed gift of prophesy to help us see how we can apply God’s truth (from His word) in our cultural times. Unfortunately, it seems that our culture and country are paying more attention and following the ways of the the world rather than following those who can clearly interpret God’s truth for our world.

I could devote a lot of my application and writing time to any of those three topics in today’s reading. However, let me focus my attention primarily on Passage #4 this morning.

Passage #4 from Deut. 20: 1-4: The other three passage spoke loudly to me about God’s truth this morning; but Passage #4 almost jumped out at me with encouragement; and I want to give it a little more space in my journaling. And this passage shouts out a wonderful message from God, through Moses, to His people [and by extension of context, to us], saying that no matter what they [or we] will encounter and face, as God’s people are led toward, He, the Lord, God, would always be with them [us].

Go back and meditate on that passage, my friend; and be uplifted by its truth. God is saying (as His word says in this passage): Deut. 20: 3 … “Hear, [My people]: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the LORD, your God, is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

My friend, today you and I are going into a battle. And we have fortified spiritual enemies, … Satan, the world, and our own flesh, against which we will have to fight. Personally, it is greatly encouraging to know that I have the same God - IN ME – which the Israelites could rely upon … the God Who is much stronger than the evil I will face in the world. And He is the God I and follow into battle and to rely upon to carry me through (go back and read 1st John 4: 4, Rom. 8: 31, 1st Cor. 10: 13, and 2nd Cor. 12: 9.

Yes, I am weakened by my own flesh; and today I will encounter an enemy who is much stronger than I am, … and enemy who has developed a worldly beachhead of temptation and trouble which will try to bring me down. But just like God promised the Israelites, if I follow Him into battle, I will ultimately be victorious; … because God’s ULTIMATE WARRIOR, my Lord and Savior, Jesus, has won the war; and no matter what happens in battle in this world, I will LIVE with Him forever in His promised-land.

My Prayer Today: … Praise You, Lord; because today all my enemies could do is to smite my flesh; but You are with me and will never forsake me; … and in that promise, I am saved!! Amen