I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses reminds the Israelites that they have seen the power of God as He led them from Egypt through the wilderness. He tells them that they are about to enter a rich and bountiful land. They need to be careful to follow all of the commands that God is giving them. They must not turn away and worship or serve other Gods. Moses tells them that they have a choice between a blessing and a curse. If they obey God’s commands, they will be blessed. But if they reject God’s commands and turn away and worship other gods they will be cursed. I believe that this promise from Moses applies to any people anywhere in the world, not just the Israelites. Those who obey God’s commands will be blessed, those who reject them and turn away after other gods will be cursed.
When they entered into the new land they were to destroy all of the places where the nations who lived there before them worshiped their gods. In that new land, God would designate a place for His worship. That was the only place where the Israelites were to offer sacrifices to God. They were not to start worshiping God in any of the ways that the peoples of that land worshiped their gods. Moses pointed out to the children of Israel that God found the worship practices of the people they were about to conquer detestable.
One day Jesus told His disciples to go to the other side of the lake. They got in a boat and started across. Jesus went to sleep. While they were crossing a storm came up and started to swamp the boat. The disciples frantically woke Jesus, certain they were going to drown. Jesus got up and rebuked the storm. Immediately the lake became calm. Jesus then asked His disciples where their faith was. They were amazed that He was able to calm the storm. Do we have faith that Jesus can calm the storms of our lives?
When Jesus stepped ashore on the other side of the lake, a demon possessed man was there. Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man. The demons begged permission from Jesus to go into a herd of pigs that were nearby. Jesus granted them that permission. The herd of pigs promptly rushed into the lake and drowned. The pig herds ran off and reported what had happened to everyone in the region. When the people from the region came to Jesus they saw the formerly demon possessed man dressed and in his right mind for the first time in years. Those who had seen what had happened told them how the man was cured. The people were terrified and asked Jesus to leave. Jesus honored their request and got in the boat to cross the lake again. The former demon possessed man begged to go with Jesus. However, Jesus told him to return to his home and tell what God had done for him. Not all of us are called to go to distant mission fields, many of us are called to return to our homes and tell those around us what God has done for us. Do we follow this man’s example and proclaim what Jesus has done for us?
I will echo the psalmist’s humble cry, “I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God.” God is my help and my deliverer, without His aid I will fail. However, I will say, along with all who wait for God’s saving ways, “The Lord is great.”
I thank God once more this morning for providing me with a wife who is more than worthy. She is definitely the crown of my life.