Friday, October 3, 2014

For All Time

O. T. #378  "For All Time"
October 3, 2014
Deuteronomy 4-Part 4
Keep His decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all timeDeuteronomy 4:40

LET IT GLOW

I will love you for all time. I will stay with you forever. It's only you and me babe. Always, forever, for all time. People make those promises every day, yet they break them down the road. Is there anything we do "for all time?" We change jobs, locations, spouses, families, churches, houses, cars, clothes, and even our hair color. Our society is always changing. Yet, God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is for all time. He gave a promise to Israel for all time. Want to know what it was? Continue reading.

Moses continues to remind Israel of the wonderful things God has done for them.
  • God brought Israel out of Egypt by His Presence and His great strength, delivered from slavery.
  • He drove out nations greater and stronger than they were. They were camped in the land of the Moabites, Amorites, and Midianites. 
  • He is bringing them into the land of promise to give it to them as an inheritance.
It is always beneficial for us to review the things God has done in our lives. Israel does not have to live in the past triumphs of God, but this second generation experienced His workings, also.
Can we look at our life in the present and see the mighty works of God? What is God doing today in your family, you church, your community, our nation?


LET IT GROW


What is Moses telling Israel?
  • Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below, and that He alone is God. (verse 39)
  • Keep His decrees and commands, which Moses was giving them that day. (verse 40)
  • When they do all of these, it will go well with Israel and their children.
  • They will live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time, for ever.
Shouldn't we acknowledge God as Lord of our lives? God as Lord of our land?
Are we striving to keep His decrees and commands which He gave?
Do we read the Bible and pray daily?
Are we hungry for His Word and thirsty for His Spirit?
Why are we allowing foreign gods into our land? They put up their houses of worship, yet we are not concerned that they draw away our neighbors and children.

I read a promise God gave to Israel and to us:
Do these and it will go well with you and your children.
Live long in the land the Lord has given you for all time.

What more could we want? A good and long life, a land to call home, an inheritance for our children. Sounds like the good ole life in America that generations have enjoyed.
If only Israel had continued to worship God only, they would have had their land for all time.
What about us? We seem to be slipping away from God and His decrees, especially at Easter and Christmas times.

(Of course, it is an advantage for us to be able to read further and know that Israel forsook God, turning to idols of other nations. He allowed them to be captured and taken from their Promised Land. After years, they repented. A continuous cycle.) Will America have to be captured by another nation in order to bring repentance? I pray not.

LET IT GO

Keep my promises for all time.

Stay faithful to my God and my marriage.

Teach my children and grandchildren about God, sharing the blessings He has provided.

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