The book of Deuteronomy consists of a series of farewell messages by Israel’s 120-year-old leader. It is addressed to the new generation destined to possess the “Promised Land.” He reminds them of the importance of obedience, a lesson which the previous generation had failed to learn. To us the New Testament believers the call is just the same. As written in 1 Cor.10:11: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us ….” 

So what did Moses warn them that we need to heed today?

Remember the wages of sin is death [Deut 1:2-3] – An entire generation (except Caleb & Joshua) lost on the promise of God. They began well but failed to finish the race.  Why?

The reason—an evil heart of unbelief that led them away from the promises of God. This resulted in the death of a whole generation in the wilderness. In their place, God raised a new one to inherit his promise. God has promised each of us a rest in Christ Jesus the One who came to save. But if we fail to believe in His finished work by the hardening of ours hearts through the deceitfulness of sin, we too are sure to be eternally separated from God.  So may we not harden our hearts and believe what he has spoken. 

Remember, the old wars when facing the new [Deut 1:4] – In this verse Moses reminds the people to look back at the great victories they had won over the two Kings Sihon and Og whenever they face new wars. Both these kingdoms stood in their way to the Promised Land. They loomed large and undefeatable, but God routed them proving to the nations around, the Might and Power of Israel’s God. 

We too are in a battle of a different kind – a Spiritual One. Our enemies are not flesh and blood but powers and principalities in the heavenly realm. What are we to do when we face these battles? We need to remember 

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• The One in us is greater than the one who is in the world. -1John 4:4
   

• The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world, they have divine powers to bring down strongholds- 2 Cor. 10:3
   

• We are to wear the full armour of God against the devil’s schemes- Eph 6:10
   

• The Lord is faithful & he will strengthen & protect you from the evil one. 2 Thess. 3:3 

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Remember, God’s presence is with us always [Deut 1:30-33] 
It’s God’s promise to us that He will never leave nor forsake us (Heb 13:5) and that He will be with us till the end of the ages (Matt 28:20). This was the same promise God gave his people Israel. In the above verses we read how He carried them and watched over them night and day as a father would. Yet through their wilderness journey we often see that they would forget who their God was in the face of conflicts. 

The apostle Paul however never ever, even for a moment, doubted if God was with him in the face of conflicts he faced in every city! What was his secret?

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• His assurance – That nothing could separate him from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:39)
   

• His confidence – The God who began a good work in him, was faithful to complete it until the coming of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6)

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May we ask God to give us obedient hearts to remember these lessons and thus finish our earthly race to enter Heaven –Our Promised Land

 

Quote for the Day

“The way to our promised land is not always easy, in fact, it rarely is. But it’s worth it.”
~Debbie McDaniel 

Listen: ‘O God our Help’