Good morning everyone. Thanks to those who contacted me about not seeing my post. I was at Laurel Caverns and was not able to post it.
Deuteronomy chapter 1.
Moses is giving some of his final words before he dies and the Israelites go over into the
Promised Land. He reminds them of what God has done and reminds them of their
mistakes. They were to remember the following:
1. How God delivered them from Egypt as He promised.
2. How God increased their numbers as He promised.
3. How God developed leaders to help take the burden off from Moses.
4. How God got them to the Promised Land and told them to take the Promised Land. He
said don't be afraid or discouraged.
5. Instead they rebelled against God out of fear.
6. Then they rebelled against God out of arrogance.
7. As a result they suffered terrible consequences.
I could approach this chapter being very general about how we all at times struggle like the
Israelites did. But since it's an area that I struggle with more often than I want, I will make it
personal.
As I look back on my life I can see how God helped me grow in so many ways. He helped
me to overcome a problem of feeling like nobody liked me. He gave me confidence and
compassion to stand before others and share his word. He allowed me to go through very
difficult times, that actually helped me grow to be a better man. And God has put me in
places of ministry, in the church and in the places of employment where he helped me carry
out the responsibilities required. There are always failures and successes. But He has
helped me to grow where he has called me.
When God puts me in a new place, I'm always challenged and stretched by God. I am told
not to be afraid or be discouraged. But I do get discouraged and do get afraid. I'm more apt
to feel I can't do something versus being so overconfident that I don't need God.
God called me to Edinboro Camp & Retreat center, and Though I do see God doing great
things at Edinboro Camp & Retreat center, I can't help but still feel overwhelmed and feel
like he called the wrong person. I don't feel qualified. But God is stretching me. A friend told
me God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called. I have to learn that when God puts
us in a new place, he says Don't be afraid or discouraged, because God knows we will be
stretched and challenged. We will face difficult times but he will be with us and help us get
through it and we will become wiser and better and more experienced and more qualified.
We will grow!
Romans 8:31 is such an encouraging verse.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Those words can give us so much hope in life, but now imagine how devastating it would be to hear the words from Deuteronomy 1:42.
And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you be defeated before your enemies.’
What is so sad is that they foolishly didn’t listen. They refused to listen to God and they had to suffer the consequences. They didn’t believe that God would help them to take the land that He had promised to them and then they didn’t follow His directions again. They went up into the hill country when they weren’t supposed to.
It’s easy to point back at the Israelites and say how foolish they were for not trusting and obeying God, but I have to look at my own life and ask a few hard questions.
Do I ever let fear control me?
Do I try to go up into the hill country on my own when that’s clearly the wrong way to go?
Do I listen closely to know and do exactly what God wants me to?
God has given us His Word to help us grow.
Psalm 119:105 tells us Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
We can experience all that God has for us in the Promise Land. We don’t have to be stuck wandering around in the wilderness, but we must choose to trust and obey Him throughout the journey.
Don’t try to sugarcoat the truth.
I hope you enjoy this parody by ApologetiX called Learn Some Deuteronomy.
https://youtu.be/bcX19Oy_y14
Here’s the link for Ronomy by ApologetiX.
https://youtu.be/eQ739n2ltDc
Something else that I love about how God blesses us in difficult times is how those around us can be affected for the good! Like Blair with you moving from closer to the Pittsburgh area to Corry. That was when your girls were in junior and high school and had to have been a tough choice and parts of the move were I’m sure difficult. Fast forward to you daughters have met their husbands here and they’ve got beautiful children! Not to mention the countless new friendships and relationships created. God always has our best interest at heart, it’s just hard to see His plan and bigger picture. When we look back at the tough stuff, the trials the uncertainties, I know we can also find so many blessings!