SCRIPTURE
Deuteronomy 28:58-29:1 (NRSV)
Warnings against disobedience
If you do not diligently observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, fearing this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, then the Lord will overwhelm both you and your offspring with severe and lasting afflictions and grievous and lasting maladies. He will bring back upon you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were in dread, and they shall cling to you. Every other malady and affliction, even though not recorded in the book of this law, the Lord will inflict on you until you are destroyed. Although once you were as numerous as the stars in heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. And just as the Lord took delight in making you prosperous and numerous, so the Lord will take delight in bringing you to ruin and destruction; you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to possess. The Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other; and there you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. Among those nations you shall find no ease, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a languishing spirit. Your life shall hang in doubt before you; night and day you shall be in dread, with no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, "If only it were evening!" and at evening you shall say, "If only it were morning!" - because of the dread that your heart shall feel and the sights that your eyes shall see. The Lord will bring you back in ships to Egypt, by a route that I promised you would never see again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.
These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb.
DEVOTION
Merciful God!
This scripture really puts the fear of God in ya, doesn't it?!
It is a strong reminder that God does not like disobedience and that the wages of sin are death.
I had to sit and meditate on this scripture for a while before I could find some good news. But, I found it!
First of all, it is good news that God loves us so much that God sets rules and consequences for poor behavior. When I think about what my children would do in the absence of rules with clear consequences, I shudder. I realize that I make rules not to ruin their lives or inhibit their fun, but to keep them safe from hurt, harm, and danger.
Like any good parent, God wants to keep us safe in body, mind, and spirit. God wants us to love, trust, and obey only God. God makes rules and sets boundaries--because God cares.
Secondly, it is good news that God loves us so much that God made provision for the forgiveness of our sin through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus! Because Jesus died and rose again on the third day, although the wages of sin are death, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Hallelujah!
This side of the cross, we ought to be happy-glad for the opportunity to put all of our hope and faith in Jesus. When we do, God promises to look at us, but see The Son (Jesus).
Jesus' love and blood cover up the multitude of our sin so that we can be in right relationship with God, receive pardon for sin, and become the recipients of eternal life!
I am so grateful that God's love created an escape hatch from the type of punishment described in today's scripture reading! JESUS is the door that leads not to death, but to life.
Won't you put all of your hope in Jesus today? If so, please pray with me:
Holy God, thank you so much for Jesus! I believe that he died on the cross and rose on the third day. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. I am amazed by your love for me and I dedicate my life to sharing that love with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!
Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!
I would be honored if you would take a moment to click “YES” in the upper-right hand corner of the good news blog in answer to the question, “Did God save you today?”
Thank you for reading good news as you are able and sharing good news as you are led. Go in peace, serve the Lord! (Thanks be to God!)
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