Deuteronomy 11:1-7
Today's Passage: Deuteronomy 11:1-7
Sesame Street had a learning and instruction bit on its show called ‘One Of These Things.’ It showed four things and one of them clearly stood out as different. The lyrics went like this:
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
Let’s play this game with Deuteronomy 11:1-7 and see if you can figure out which of these you would say doesn’t belong! Here’s the list of the works that God reminded Moses and his generation of:
Which of these doesn’t seem to belong? If you said the very first thing on the list, I’d tend to agree. When God describes His power and recounts all the ways in which He displayed it to the Israelites, we don’t assume that His discipline belongs in that list.
But why not? Why shouldn’t God’s discipline be listed as a convincing argument of His favor on Israel? No, it doesn’t feel as “happy” as the defeating of armies or dividing of the seas, but it sure does reveal God’s personal heart towards us.
We should learn to see His discipline as a grace and mercy on us (see Hebrews 12:3-11 for a parallel passage). God disciplines us because He loves us. Please don’t see it as authoritarianism or even as punishment because all discipline from God is done out of love.
Let’s land where God told Moses to land in verse 7: “For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did.” Do you see it, even discipline, as all great work? It’s a GREAT work of God, for it brings us into right relationship and posture before Him. It is love that guides His discipline, for a loveless God would simply turn and leave us to our own brokenness. Yet, our Father presses right into it. None of these don’t belong, for they are ALL great works of God.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER TODAY:
How has the discipline of God been a good thing for you in the past?
Do you see the seemingly unfitting parts of the character of God as an extension of His care and provision for you as you should?
Written By: Drew Dukes
Sesame Street had a learning and instruction bit on its show called ‘One Of These Things.’ It showed four things and one of them clearly stood out as different. The lyrics went like this:
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
Let’s play this game with Deuteronomy 11:1-7 and see if you can figure out which of these you would say doesn’t belong! Here’s the list of the works that God reminded Moses and his generation of:
- His discipline
- His greatness
- His mighty hand and outstretched arm
- His signs and deeds in Egypt
- His parting of the Red Sea
- His provision in the wilderness
- His opening the earth
Which of these doesn’t seem to belong? If you said the very first thing on the list, I’d tend to agree. When God describes His power and recounts all the ways in which He displayed it to the Israelites, we don’t assume that His discipline belongs in that list.
But why not? Why shouldn’t God’s discipline be listed as a convincing argument of His favor on Israel? No, it doesn’t feel as “happy” as the defeating of armies or dividing of the seas, but it sure does reveal God’s personal heart towards us.
We should learn to see His discipline as a grace and mercy on us (see Hebrews 12:3-11 for a parallel passage). God disciplines us because He loves us. Please don’t see it as authoritarianism or even as punishment because all discipline from God is done out of love.
Let’s land where God told Moses to land in verse 7: “For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did.” Do you see it, even discipline, as all great work? It’s a GREAT work of God, for it brings us into right relationship and posture before Him. It is love that guides His discipline, for a loveless God would simply turn and leave us to our own brokenness. Yet, our Father presses right into it. None of these don’t belong, for they are ALL great works of God.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER TODAY:
How has the discipline of God been a good thing for you in the past?
Do you see the seemingly unfitting parts of the character of God as an extension of His care and provision for you as you should?
Written By: Drew Dukes
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