“1 These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down... Read more

“Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess…” -Deuteronomy 11:8 Though I have read Deuteronomy several times, I had never noticed an important observation from verse 11. God told his people to obey his commands so they would have strength. Does obedience give us strength? From God’s perspective it does. When Israel obeyed the Lord,... Read more

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? -Deuteronomy 10:12-13 If someone asked me, “What does God want me to do?” I could sum it up in... Read more

Do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.”-Deuteronomy 9:4 Israel was blessed. Chosen by God as his people, the Lord drove out other nations to provide a land as their nation. But before he sent them across the Jordan River to possess the land, he gave a warning. What was this warning? Not to think the victory came from their own power. God was the source of... Read more

“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God…” -Deuteronomy 8:11 If there is one spiritual message America needs, it can be found in Deuteronomy 8:11: “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God.” Just as Moses foretold of Israel, when life goes well, the temptation is to forget who provided the blessing and live as though our possessions are the result of our own goodness. Worse, we can find ourselves feeling we deserve what... Read more

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” -Deuteronomy 7:6 To be holy is to be set apart. God chose the people of Israel from among all the people on the planet to be his people, his treasured possession. While this may seem unfair to those who are not Israelites, consider what... Read more

“Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” -Deuteronomy 5:29 God’s desire is for our good. He made clear his desire in Deuteronomy 5:29, “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” He longs for our obedience and to bless... Read more

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.” -Deuteronomy 4:2 God was very clear about his Word: Do not change it. The Israelites were not to add or subtract to it. They were to study it and obey it (Ezra 7:10). Today, the challenge remains to not tamper with Scripture. When a sticky social issue arise, there is pressure to reinterpret.... Read more

But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see. -Deuteronomy 3:28 Passing on leadership or a legacy of any kind is a difficult matter. Many miss the opportunity to invest in others by overstaying their time, overlooking a quality successor, or belittling the importance of handing off leadership. God, however, provided clear directions for Moses to transition his leadership to Joshua. He... Read more