Reading: Deuteronomy 29-31
And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every
work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the
fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for
the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiced
over thy fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the
Lord thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes
which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn
unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul(Deut. 30:9-10).
The Israelites stood at the threshold of a glorious future.
The message Moses had imparted made clear that the Lord’s
blessings were theirs for the asking. The Lord was willing to
recreate paradise in exchange for their heartfelt obedience.
Still, Moses’ words were disconcerting. The curses that would
come from disobedience were horrible, and there was a general
concern amongst the people that they might somehow transgress
against God by breaking laws and statutes that had not
yet been revealed to them. Patiently, Moses addressed their concerns: It is not in
heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us
to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and
do it. Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say,
Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that
we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto
thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do
it (Deut. 30:12-14). They had no reason to fear. God had told
them all that they needed to know for them to be able to live
within His will. God did not expect His people to read His mind,
only to live within the guidelines of what had been revealed. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but
those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our
children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law
(29:29). At the time this verse was written, God's people knew a
great deal less of the secret things than we do now. They had
seen miracles both wonderful and terrible, but the full scope of
God’s plan was still hidden from them. Today, Jesus the Messiah
has been revealed to us, the barrier has been removed, and we, as members of the body of Christ, have been imbued with
the Holy Spirit. Consequently, God’s expectations of us have
evolved, taking into account our new level of understanding. God has fully revealed Himself to us through His Spirit (I
Cor. 2:7-12), but that does not mean we know everything He
knows. God is omniscient and omnipotent; nothing is hidden
from His view. He is responsible for every living thing in the
universe. Even if He told us every thought He ever had, there
is no way we could comprehend them. God shares what we
need to know when we need to know it to live a godly life. The
rest we must just accept on faith. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But
when that which is perfect is come, then that which is
in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake
as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I
am known(1 Cor. 13:9-12). Thought For Today:Having faith in God does not mean that
we have an automatic understanding of His plans. Christ Revealed:As life (Deut. 30:15). Jesus is the Resurrection,
and the Life (John 11:25). Word Studies:29:4 perceive = know; 29:17 abominations =
detestable things; 29:20 smoke = ablaze; 29:29 secret = hidden;
30:1 call them to mind = remember them; 30:3 turn thy captivity
= restore you from captivity; 30:4 unto the outmost parts = to the
ends of earth. Pray For Government Officials:Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL) • Country:
Thailand (67,741,401) Southeast Asia • Major Languages: Thai,
English • Religious Freedom; Buddhism is the state religion • 93.6%
Buddhist; 4.9% Muslim; 1.2% Christian; 0.2% Other; 0.1% None •
Prayer Suggestion: Seek the Lord’s teaching; grow and mature in
your prayer life (Luke 11:1). Optional ReadingJohn 2