20 January 2020 -Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NIV)

20 January 2020 -Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NIV)

Scripture

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Reflection

The book of Deuteronomy contains a lot of God’s instructions through Moses prior to the Hebrews, God’s

people, entering the promised land of what would later be known as Israel.  It is often considered boring because there are intricate details on objects, structures, ceremonies, rules that are less appreciated today. But then there are these precious portions like today’s verses that speak loudly and clearly about God’s heart and intentions that transcend across the time, space and culture.

God keeps His word.  He promised the ancestors of these Hebrew people – Abraham and his descendants, Isaac, Jacob and others – the territory He marked out to Abraham.  Using Moses as his spokesperson, God led them out of Egyptian slavery and through the desert, performing miracles along the way to show and remind the people of His faithfulness and power.  Now as they neared the time and place to enter the Promised Land, Moses exhorted them to remember who God is and why He has brought them here, and pass this memory to the generations after.

Moses’ exhortation is for us today too.  God considered Abraham righteous because of his faith in God.  Those of us who put our faith and trust God as our savior of our present and eternal destinies have joined Abraham’s spiritual family, and that makes us his spiritual descendants.  So, know that your God who is the Almighty God is faithful to you too, and keeps his promise of love to everyone who loves Him and obeys Him.

Thoughts for the day

  • Do you love him and obey Him? This is not a trick question, but a simple yes or no.  If you hesitated to give an immediate and emphatic “Yes!”, this is a good time to mull over where/what the obstacles are and have a chat with God about it.
  • On a good day, how can we remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness, power and love for us?
  • When times are especially challenging, how can we make sure we remember the same.

Prayer

(An old hymn serves as a prayer today…)

Dear Lord and heavenly father, the things that I love that I hold dear to my heart are just borrowed and not mine at all. Jesus only let me use them to brighten my life, so remind me, remind me, dear Lord.  Roll back the curtains of memory now and then, show me where you brought me from and where I could have been.  I am human, and humans often forget, so remind me, dear Lord. Make the most important “thing” that I love and hold dear to my heart be you Lord.  Amen.

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By |2020-01-18T19:16:13+08:00January 20th, 2020|Categories: Week 4|Comments Off on 20 January 2020 -Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NIV)

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Sandy is from Singapore and has been working in China since 2005. She joined SCF in 2008 when she moved to Shanghai and is part of Manna Xintiandi.