Sometime in 2015, I
posted a couple of mini-devotionals in Facebook everyday, for 22 consecutive days.
I recently found their drafts while cleaning up my files, and I decided
to post all of them here…
re: Deuteronomy 30:1-10
After relaying the blessings and curses that will fall upon
Israelites whenever they obey or disobey, Moses urges them to keep to heart
that when the time comes that they find themselves exiled from the Promise Land
due to their sins, God is merciful to restore them to Israel and bless them
again IF they sincerely repent from their sins, return to the LORD, and obey
Him.
God doesn't desire the destruction of His children, His
elect. Any "punishment" put upon us that we experience because of our
sin is not a punishment per se, but a means for us to be restored.
Sanctification is always "trial by fire." Thus, when there are
hardships - regardless of if they are consequences of our sin or a trial of
faith - we should not be bitter at all, but be thankful of God's love and
desire to bring us to holiness, and, thus, be ready of experiencing and
enjoying His fellowship.
As application, let's repent everyday and continually ask
God to circumcise our hearts (v. 6), so we can be capable of obeying His
commands and sincerely loving Him (v.8), that He might delight in us (v. 9).
re: Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Moses summarizes: obedience leads to life and prosperity;
disobedience leads to death and destruction.
Obey or disobey. Life or death. Blessing or curse. There is
no middle alternative. So we MUST obey
God, since we profess we are Christians.
To a depraved heart, it’s impossible to obey God’s commands.
But to those whose hearts are circumcised by God, they are capable of doing so.
Circumcised hearts are capable of loving God (Deut. 30:6). And obeying God’s
commands comes out from loving God (John 14:15).
Hence, if we are truly children of God, obedience isn’t too
difficult or beyond our reach (v. 11). God won’t require or command something
from us that is impossible for us to deliver – especially considering the fact
that it’s actually God himself who enables us to do it anyway (Philippians
2:13, 4:13).
Application: Obedience doesn’t come naturally to the fallen
human nature. Thus, let us continually pray for a changed heart; let’s ask the
Holy Spirit everyday to help us in our daily struggle and pursuit for
obedience.
re: Deuteronomy
31:1-8
120-year-old Moses bids farewell. He announces that he won’t
be able to lead Israel cross the Jordan River and invade the Promised Land, and
his chosen successor is Joshua. He gives words of encouragement to Joshua and
the Israelites.
Whatever task that God has commanded us to do, we should
just go and obey for He guarantees the victory of it (v. 3-5) – God promises to
be with us, to help us, encourage us, and even fight for us (Romans 8:31b,
Exodus 14:14, Isaiah 41:10, etc.). When we love Him and obey His commands, He
makes sure that everything will work out for our good (Romans 8:28).
And whenever we get discouraged of pressing on, let’s remind
ourselves of the reassuring words of verse 6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid or terrified… for the Lord your God goes with you; HE WILL NEVER
LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.” Amen!
Let’s relish the fact that God is always with us and will
see us through till the end.
re: Deuteronomy 31:9-18
Moses writes down the law and distributes it to the priests.
He instructs them to read the law aloud to the people during the Festival of
Pentecost. Then, the LORD calls for Moses and Joshua so that He can commission
the latter. God foretells that the Israelites will eventually rebel against
Him, and they will be punished.
We can never have too much of God’s Word, so it’s necessary
for us to always read and listen to it. God’s Word will teach us to fear God
(v. 13). Fearing God is the other side of the same coin as loving God – they go
hand and hand; they will both enable us to honor Him by obeying his
commandments. Someone who fears the LORD takes delight in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1); and when someone delights in His commandments, he desires to
obey and keep them (Psalm 119:33-35).
Thus, it’s important that we regularly read and meditate on
the Word of God. For by it, we will learn to fear God, so that we’ll avoid
sinning against Him (Psalm 119:11) and incur His righteous anger (v. 17).
re: Romans 8:18-25
This passage is very encouraging and comforting. It’s a
message of hope that will definitely help us endure all the anguish and
problems and misery and persecutions we experience while living in this world,
particularly those which result from being a Christian. Whatever the magnitude
of our pain here on earth, the pleasure that awaits in Heaven will infinitely
make up for it. Compared to the weight of glory that God has prepared for us to
enjoy in Heaven for eternity, a lifetime of suffering in this temporal world
should be immaterial. The deeper we understand and appreciate this truth – the
deeper we comprehend how fleeting this world is and how supremely valuable
God’s heavenly rewards are – the more intense our resolve will be in keeping
our faith, no matter how vicious the suffering we currently experience.
So we shouldn’t lose heart. Let’s not focus on this world,
but focus towards what lies Beyond all of these. And up until the point of
death, let’s be faithful. It’s all going to be worth it.
re: Deuteronomy 31:19-29
After God delivers His prediction about the Israelites’
eventual descent to disobedience and idolatry, He asks Moses to write it in
song and teach it to the Israelites, so that it will serve as a testimony
against them when that time comes. Moses commands the Levites to place the Book
of the Law beside the ark of the covenant of God.
The Word of God serves as a “witness” against us to indicate
our sin. Let us always turn to Scripture with a humble heart, embrace its
instructions and rebuke, and let it compel us to daily repentance. Let’s
consciously revere the Word of God, and keep it in our hearts so that we may be
victorious in our daily struggles against sin (Psalm 119:11).
re: Deuteronomy 31:20–32:12
Moses sings to the Israelites. He appeals to heaven and
earth to serve as witnesses, and likens his instruction to raindrops. He first
declares God as faithful and mighty, and then lambasts the Israelites for
acting as if they’re not God’s chosen people, God’s children, and forgetting
His gracious acts.
Let’s never forget how God has shown us grace and mercy, and
how he has redeemed and blessed us. Let’s not dare to be ungrateful. To free us
from the bondage of sin, Christ had to die on the cross. So we shouldn’t
dishonor this great sacrifice by turning back to sin.
Let’s always remind ourselves of how God has been good to
us.
And let’s always humbly accept His instructions. Like rain,
there are times when God’s Word is a cool and refreshing drizzle
(encouragement), and there are times it’s a thundery and vicious downpour
(rebuking). Either way, let’s welcome it, for it will clean and revive our
spirits as we engage in our daily battles against sin.
re: Deuteronomy 32:13–25
God blesses the Israelites, and they become prosperous. But
the Israelites turn to other gods. God contemplates of pouring His wrath on
them. For the nth time, the Israelites are warned what will befall on them when
they turn to idolatry.
God abhors sin. However, to His children, He is slow to
anger (Numbers 14:18, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8). He never fails in giving ample
warnings, and is gradual in proceeding with His judgment – He makes known His
displeasure first (v.20-21) before sending out actual destruction (v.22-25).
Let’s be thankful that our God is patient with us, and
prefers our repentance over giving punishment (2 Peter 3:9b). But let’s also
considerably consider the fact that God is Holy. He can’t stand sin. And his
unrestrained wrath will eventually pour on the stubbornly unrepentant (Proverbs
29:1).
Let’s make it a habit to repent from our sins everyday, and
ask God to reveal his profound holiness more deeply to us, that we might not
dare continually sinning.
re: Deuteronomy 32:26-35
The Israelites are so rebellious and ungrateful that God
considers wiping them out – erasing any trace of them from history. However, He
doesn’t want to give the enemies of Israel the opportunity to boast and take
credit for themselves if Israel falls. God asserts that vengeance and passing
judgment are exclusively His – that nothing will come to pass without Him
allowing it. To think otherwise is utter foolishness.
Indeed, God is sovereign over all things. As what’s affirmed
on the account of Job, our enemies can’t harm us unless God permits them to do
so – in order that a greater good can come out of it (Romans 8:28). Let’s trust
on His omniscient wisdom and take comfort that He is in absolute control of all
things (Psalm 135:6, Job 42:2, Isaiah 45:7, etc.).
Thus, when God allows dire circumstances to fall upon us,
let’s not presume that God has abandoned us, but instead, let’s humbly seek His
will. And on times that during our suffering our sins are exposed to us, let’s
not be bitter and resentful; instead, let’s quickly fall on our knees and
repent.
Furthermore, if we believe these things above, we won’t
anymore have vengeful hearts whenever people hurt or offend us – God is simply
using them for a deeper purpose. So let’s just surrender everything to His
impeccable sense of justice (Job 34:12, Psalm 9:7-8).
re: Deuteronomy 32:36-43
There’s only one true God, and idols are unable to help the
Israelites in their afflictions. It’s only God that is capable of removing them
from their suffering and avenging them against their enemies. God promises to
bring justice to His people, and of it He’s worthy of praise.
In the end, our idols – money, fame, power, friends, family,
sin, entertainment, gadgets, or anything that we put above God in our lives –
won’t do any good to us in eventual matters of significance.
Any joy invested on them will fade, and they will have no
value to us when we die and face judgment. It’s only in God where we can find
supreme, unfading joy; and it’s only Christ who can save us from our sins and
from experiencing eternal torment in Hell.
In response, let’s put our hope in the Lord alone… and
rejoice! (v. 43).
re: Deuteronomy 32:44-52
After Moses and Joshua finish declaring the song to crowds
of Israelites, the former urges them to keep in their hearts the words they
have heard and teach them to their children (v.46). Afterwards, God instructs
Moses to go up Mt. Nebo, where he will die. Moses is not allowed to enter the
Promised Land for disobeying God at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh (Numbers
20:1-13); however, he will be granted a glimpse of it from Nebo (v. 52).
Submission to the Word of God is of vast importance for it
brings life (v. 47). It is parallel to what Jesus said in Matthew 19:17: “…if
you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments." And Jesus Christ
himself is the Word personified (John 1:1), the only way to eternal life. Thus,
we must believe in him (John 3:16). Nevertheless, though eternal life can ONLY
be had through faith in Jesus Christ, obeying God’s commandments is still a
necessity, NOT because it’s the means to salvation, but because it’s the
evidence that our faith in Christ is genuine (James 2:14-26, Matthew 7:21, 1
John 2:17).
Let’s re-affirm in our hearts that we are saved solely
because of Jesus Christ. And let’s keep our faith by pursuing obedience to
God’s Word at all times.
Disobedience, even if it’s just one time, may prove too
costly, as what Moses himself learned (Numbers 20:1-13). Even though he had
been generally obedient to God, because of his failure to honor God at
Meribah-Kadesh (v. 51), he was disallowed from entering the Promised Land.
Nevertheless, Moses still serves as a prime example of man that had a life of
devoted obedience to God. He was faithful to God, even though he was constantly
surrounded by a grumbling, ungrateful, and hard-headed people. Thus, God honored
Moses. He was at “first name basis” (i.e. intimate relationship) with the LORD,
and is acknowledged as “Israel’s Greatest Prophet” (Deut. 34:10). At the
transfiguration of Christ, he shared the honor with Elijah to stand beside him.
And, most importantly, he is now surely enjoying the fellowship of God for all
eternity in Heaven (there’s no greater honor than that!).
Let’s emulate Moses’ faithfulness, and enjoy God forever.
re: Deuteronomy 33:1-11
After first reminding the Israelites how majestic (v.2) and
loving (v.3) God is, Moses starts declaring blessings to the tribes of Israel.
To Reuben: the preservation of the tribe (v.6). To Judah: that God would hear
their prayers, success, and victory over their enemies (v.7). To Levi: the
commission to minister in holy things – judging the people and teaching the law
(v.8-11).
God’s blessing on His children, His elect, is always a
certain thing. But it requires submission to God’s commandments (v. 3).
Blessing comes out of obedience. It’s a recurring theme in Deuteronomy, and we
are reminded of it once again in this passage.
However, oftentimes, our definition of blessing isn’t in
accordance with how God puts it. We often associate “blessing” with worldly
standards. Thus, we fail to see how much God has been blessing us in the most
important aspects in our lives; we fail to desire and pursue heavenly blessings
(John 6:27).
In our passage today, the blessings on Reuben, Judah, and
Levi also apply to us modern Christians – the “spiritual Israelites.” Like Reuben,
we are being preserved (Romans 8:37-39, John 17:11-12). Like Judah, God is
hearing our prayers (1 John 5:14), and we have success (Proverbs 16:3, Matt.
25:23, John 16:33) and have victory over our enemies (1 Cor. 15:55-57, 2 Cor.
4:7-12, Romans 16:20). Like Levi, we are given the honor of being His priests
(1 Peter 2:9, Rev. 1:6) and teach others about God’s commands (Titus 2, Matt.
28:19-20).
Application: Let’s not miss out of the best that God has
intended for us, so we should continually submit to God’s Word and be motivated
by heavenly rewards rather than temporal benefits (Philippians 3:7-14), and
let’s be thankful always.
re: Deuteronomy 33:12-21
Moses continues to bless the tribes. To Benjamin: divine
protection (v.12). To Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim): that their land will
become rich and plenty – consistently having great harvests (v.13-17). To
Zebulon and Issachar: success in trade on sea and other lands (v. 18-19). To
Gad: expanded territories (v. 20-21).
God blesses His children differently. But He does not do so
in an inequitable manner even if it seems otherwise in our eyes. Being the
sovereign God that He is, He has the supreme prerogative to grant, distribute,
or hold back blessings as He deems good; thus, we have no right of accusing God
of being unfair (Matt. 20:2-15).
He blesses us in a way that is, in accordance with His
omniscient wisdom, appropriate and best for us. Besides, being faithful with
what God has entrusted to us is what really matters, not the kind or amount of
blessings we have (Matt. 25:13-40). Thus, let’s not be envious of other’s
blessings, but instead be thankful of the blessings we have. And instead of
comparing, let’s just focus on using whatever blessings we have to glorify God
in the best way we can.
re: Deuteronomy 33:22-29
Moses continues to bless the tribes. To Dan: comparison to a
young lion (v. 22). To Naphtali: abundance of favor and blessing from the LORD
(v. 23). To Asher: many children, goodwill with people around them, and a land
rich of oil and precious metals (v.24-25). Then Moses wraps it up by reminding
everyone again that there is none like God, that He is mighty, and the people
of Israel can trust Him to bless and protect them (v. 26-29).
Indeed, there’s only one true God. Hence, it’s only through
Him and in Him will we ever obtain genuinely substantial gains – eternal life,
happiness, satisfaction, peace, protection, help, etc. – which we can’t ever
find in other “gods” – in modern times, these would be money, career, fame,
power, property, entertainment, gadgets, or any other things that modern people
tend to show devotion to.
Contemplating on the mere truth that God lives should give
us profound comfort and joy. It’s really a great honor and blessing to have Him
as OUR God (v. 29). And for this, He deserves our utmost praise and devotion.
re: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
It’s the wrap up of Deuteronomy. Moses climbs Mt. Nebo, God
shows him the boundaries of the Promised Land, and dies at 120 years old. The
Israelites mourn him for 30 days. Joshua takes over and leads them into the
Promised Land.
Moses is an estimable, great man of God. He is described as
someone “whom the LORD knew face to face.” He had a 24/7 access to God and was
spoken to directly by God – not through dreams or visions, as most other
prophets had experienced. He had an intimate relationship with God that had
been unparalleled by subsequent prophets.
With the exception of Jesus, of course. No matter how deep
Moses’ relationship with God was, Jesus’ intimacy and familiarity with God go
much deeper (John 17) – incomparably deeper! He is God’s only Son after all.
During Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-11), in which Moses stood by his
side, God declares, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.
Listen to him!”
Indeed, there's no doubt that Moses is a very admirable man.
But Jesus is infinitely superior; as further affirmed by Hebrews 3:1-6, Moses
was faithful as a servant, but Jesus as a Son.
The praiseworthy qualities that we find and admire about our
earthly heroes – whether they are real-life, historical, biblical, or even
fictional – are mere shadows being cast by the supremely admirable
characteristics of Jesus Christ. Any appealing and good qualities we see in
others are ultimately found perfected in Jesus. No hero can hold a candle to
the majesty of Jesus.
Jesus is our ultimate standard. Jesus is our ultimate role
model. Jesus is our ultimate hero.
So let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. And let’s trace and project
the good and praiseworthy things that we find admirable in others toward our
awe and admiration of Christ.
re: Hebrews 1:1-7
In the Old Testament times, God communicated His will to Men
through the prophets. But when Jesus Christ came to the world, he served as the
final and full revelation of God. After Him, we should expect no new
revelations, but only a greater understanding on what has already been revealed
in the Gospel, as guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should stay away
from those who claim to have received rectified, “ground-breaking” messages
from God (which actually contradict Scripture) – they are false teachers.
Furthermore, the passage gives us a superb picture of the
glory and authority of Christ, which are equated to that of God the Father
(just one of the many affirmations in the Bible that Jesus is God). Christ is
the true image and character of the person of the Father. So in beholding
Christ’s attributes, we behold the Father for they have the same nature (v.3),
and they are One (John 10:30).
Let us desire to know Christ more and more, that we may know
the Father more and more (John 14:7). And let’s be thrilled and thankful that
Jesus Christ himself desires and guarantees to make the Father known to us, so
that we can experience in ourselves His presence and intense love (John
17:25-26).
re: Hebrews 1:8-14
Christ is superior to angels; they were created to worship
and serve Him (Heb. 1:6). And their service to Him in this world is to serve
those whom He has saved (v.14). Isn’t it an amazing privilege to be served by
hands which have served the King of Kings?
But this is just one aspect of the honor we receive through
Christ as God’s adopted children (Gal. 3:26, 29). Though we aren’t – and will
never be – equals of Christ, He has nonetheless acknowledged us to be His
brothers and sisters (Matt. 12:50, Heb. 2:11), as God has acknowledged us to be
His children (1 John 3:1-2), that He has generously shared His glory to us
(John 17:22). Isn’t this mind-blowing?
As response, in accordance to what Romans 8:17 teaches, as
“God’s heirs and joint-heirs with Christ”, we then should be ready to share
with Christ’s suffering in order to partake with Christ’s glory. In addition,
Romans 8:18 assures us that the eternal glory we’ll receive will far outweigh
the temporal sufferings we need to endure in this world as we do Christ’s will
on earth.
So, everyday, let’s pursue holy lives and give our best for
the expansion of His Kingdom, despite the hardships that come with them. And
let’s take heart, for not only will Christ summon angels to help us (v. 14),
but He also promised that He’s always going to be with us till the end of age
(Matt. 20:20).
re: Hebrews 2:1-4
Chapter 2 of Hebrews starts with “therefore.” It means that
with Chapter 1 as premise – the assertion and celebration that Jesus Christ is
God’s final and glorious revelation – the author calls for application.
The passage tells us that we must treasure and diligently
pay attention (v.1) to the Word of God, which is personified in Christ. And
listening to God’s Word in Jesus is something that needs to be taken seriously;
we can’t be laid-back and sloppy about it for the stakes are high. It’s a
matter of keeping the faith or drifting away (v.1). And if we don’t listen to
Jesus, we are neglecting salvation (v.3). Moreover, failure to heed His Words
results to punishment (v.2).
This is simply what distinguishes a genuinely born-again
Christian from the rest of the world. A Christian heeds His Words, for he or
she recognizes the supreme value of Christ. Thus, a genuine born-again
Christian eagerly listens to Christ (as Mary did in Luke 10:38-42), and he or
she obeys His instructions because he or she loves Him (John 14:15).
Therefore, if we truly are Christians and sincerely love
Jesus, we should diligently listen to Him everyday by faithfully reading our
Bible, and then apply His instructions to our daily living.
re: Hebrews 2:5-10
After already discussing Jesus’ superior excellence above
angels in Chapter 1, the writer of Hebrews returns to the topic again and
expounds on it further (v.5). The Father wants Jesus, not the angels, to be
honored, thus, it was Him that was sent to the world to be humbled and suffer
death in place of God’s elect, in order to be rewarded with immense glory. Now,
because it is Christ who redeemed this world, when the time comes that it will
be finally glorified, it will be in absolute subjection under Him (v.8).
Jesus will return someday, and he will come back – no longer
as a baby in a manger – but the King of Kings (Rev. 17:14, 19:16). And Christ
has shared to us the glory that He received from the Father (John 17:22), and,
thus, on that day, we will reign with Him, if we endure now (2 Tim. 2:12).
So let us endure and fix our eyes on Jesus, not on the
suffering on this world. The pains we now experience on this world for His sake
will pass; the honor that He has prepared for us is eternal and outweighs them
all (2 Corinthians 4:17).
re: Hebrews 3:1-6
Both Jesus and Moses are faithful, but the writer
emphatically declares the former’s superiority (v. 2-3). By using Moses – who
was the greatest prophet during the Old Testament – as benchmark, and using a
clear analogy of a house – in which Jesus is the builder and Moses is the
servant – we see why Jesus is worthy of greater glory.
God’s house means Christ’s church – us. He is the Maker of
this household we belong in, and we are his servants, just as Moses is. And any
glory we accomplish for God’s house as partakers of a heavenly calling (v.1),
Jesus is always behind it. Hence, He deserves all the honor and praise.
As response, we “hold firmly to our confidence and the hope
in which we glory” (v.6). Hoping for a future heavenly glory, rather than being
contented with worldly benefits, is the proof that we are part of God’s house.
Genuine belief is manifested by understanding and appreciating the supreme
value of Christ, thus, if we are truly of God’s household, we fix our thoughts
on Jesus and consider Him always (v.1).
Let’s invest ourselves completely in Jesus, and praise Him
everyday for what He has done in our lives.
re: Hebrews 3:7-13
The writer of Hebrews quotes a passage from Psalm 95 to
remind the brethren of what happened to the rebellious Israelites that weren’t
able to enter the Promised Land. And why weren’t they able to enter the
Promised Land? The obvious answer is that they have sinned and rebelled against
God (v. 8). But it goes deeper than that. The core of the matter is the
unbelief in their hearts and their inability to conform to God’s ways (v. 10).
This is further emphatically affirmed in the last verse (v. 19) of Chapter 3.
Hence, chronic sinning in the face of God’s goodness and mercy (v. 9) is an
indication of unbelief.
We, by ourselves, are incapable of changing our hardened
hearts internally. God is the only one capable of renewing hearts (Jeremiah
24:7; Ezekiel 11:9, 36:26). Thus, we pray to Him for it (Psalm 51:10). A
changed heart will enable us to love God (Deuteronomy 30:6), and when we love
God, we will be motivated to obey His commands (John 14:15).
Moreover, the passage also introduces one vital feature of
the Church that God has provided to protect His saints from having hardened
hearts: the members of the Church giving and receiving faith-sustaining
encouragements from each other (v.12-13). Thus, it is essential to every
believer to belong to a Christ-exalting, Bible-nourished Christian community.
As application, let us affectionately look out for each
other’s faith, and attend each week's services dutifully. Most importantly,
whenever we feel that our faith is faltering, we must turn to Jesus and
confess, "Lord, help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24).
re: Hebrews 3:14-19
According to verse 14, the holding of our original
conviction firmly to the very end will prove that a real born-again moment –
that is, we became partakers of Christ – had occurred to us. This is often
mixed up and mistakenly interpreted as to become “partakers of Christ”, we are
required to first “hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
However, if we carefully read the passage, it says, “We ARE MADE partakers of
Christ” and not “We WILL BE made partakers of Christ.” It has already happened.
It’s not a future happening. Therefore, it means that if we have held the
beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end, then it’s because we have
become partakers of Christ.
Verses 16 to 18 then asks a series of rhetorical questions
to describe those who won’t partake in Christ, which verse 19 determines as
those who are unbelieving.
So as 2 Cor. 13:5 tells us, let’s seriously evaluate if our
lives matches the characteristics of someone that has genuine faith (per 2 Cor.
5:17) or if it matches the attitude of the Israelites in the wilderness. And
let’s put our hope in God, who promises to faithfully sanctify His elect
thoroughly till the end (1 Thes. 5:23-24).
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