The End - The first (Deuteronomy 32-34)

This is the first year I have reached the end of the five books of the law with regret. Genesis always gives me a buzz, but I slow down when I which the temple construction in Exodus and Leviticus has me reading words and not thinking.

But making myself really think about what I was reading has blessed me beyond measure, and I pray it has touched your lives as well.  The word of God is indeed a sharp, two-edged sword.  It is harsh and frightening--and it is close up and personal.

Choosing which words of wisdom from the end of Moses's sermon (and life) is like trying to choose from a box of chocolates. They're all so good, and they all reflect themes we've touched on over and over. So I'll give you yet another list.

OUR REASON FOR READING THESE OLD, DRY BOOKS: Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. (Deuteronomy 32:6-7).  
     Oh boy, have I learned a lot about my roots. When I scratched the surface, I discovered truths as relevant today as they were 3400 years ago, and the same passionate God seeking a relationship with me.

BY THE END OF DEUTERONOMY, WE ARE READY TO FLY: He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air, teaching them to fly. (Deuteronomy 32:10-14, MSG)
   But the only way I learn how to fly is to be dropped in mid-air--straight into the fight for the promised land. As a friend said, scary and exhilerating at the same time.

GOD IS GOD, AND WE CAN'T ESCAPE HIM. I bring death and I give life, I wound and I heal--there is no way of getting away from or around me! (Deuteronomy 32:39-42, MSG)
       Like it or not, God is there. We either join Him or fight Him, but we can't ignore Him.

GOD IS GOD, AND HE WILL NEVER ABANDON US. God's beloved; God's permanent residence. Encircled by God all day long, within whom God is at home. (Deuteronomy 33:12, MSG)

In summary  - God wishes for us to live with

THE SMILE OF THE BURNING-BUSH DWELLER

(Deuteronomy 32:13-17, MSG)

WITHIN REACH (Deuteronomy 30)

This commandment that I'm giving you today isn't too much for you, it's not out of your reach. The word is right here and now--as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest. (Deuteronomy 30:11,14, MSG)

God calls keeping the law easy. It's not too much. It's within your reach. Come on, you can do it.

I don't understand this statement any more easily than one I talked about yesterday. (In case you haven't guessed already, there's a lot about the Bible that I don't understand.)  Because as Paul argued in Romans, no one could keep the law. The law showed us our sin. I feel as if God is telling me I can fly to the moon if I flap my arms long enough.

But that's not God's intention at all. The intervening verses, that I didn't quote, say it's not on a high mountain or across an ocean. We don't need someone to fly to Mars, find it, bring it back and translate it into English for us to understand.

We have it even easier than the Israelites did. We can open up one of the several Bibles we have in our homes (if you have as many Bibles as I do) at any time and read.

God wants our obedience--but He knows we can't keep it perfectly, and He sent His son to make the way for us.

What God does want for us is to make His word part of our here and now. He wants us to keep it on our tongues and in our hearts. Those words that follow the great Shema in Deuteronomy 6 come to mind: Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


Today we might say listen to Bible tapes, sing scripture songs, get a Bible tattoo, tape Bible verses to your bathroom mirror, hang them from your rearview mirror and post them on your refrigerator. Use a Bible tear off calendar to read something new each day. The point is, make the word of God part of your life everywhere you go and in everything you do.

That much is within our reach.  (P.S. I selected the image below because the Bible looked used. Open it up!)

BLESSED OR CURSED? (Deuteronomy 28)

I confess, I struggle with today's verses. What they seem to say don't connect with my experience.

The first verse says, All these blessings will come down on you and spread beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God. (from Deuteronomy 28:1-6, MSG)

The second one says, God will send The Curse, The Confusion, The Contrariness down on everything you've tried to do until you've been destroyed and there's nothing left of you--all because of your evil pursuits that led you to abandon me. (Deuteronomy 28:20, MSG)

Black and white. Either/or. The chapter is written in a way that suggests that God blesses people who listen to his voice with material prosperity, and rains down disaster on people who disobey until until there is nothing left. 

I must say, I love the descriptions. Blessings that spread beyond me? Kind of like answers to prayer that are pressed down and running over, so much blessing that I leak and spill it and other around me are blessed too. I want to be that kind of person.

But I'm afraid I identify more with the feeling of confusion and contrariness, when life doesn't turn out the way I expected it to and fights what I want to do. I have a friend right now who probably would shout a loud "amen." She's stuck in a dangerous and discouraging job. She wants to write full time; she's close to getting a contract that would make that possible. At just this time--when her dream is within sight--her husband's salary was cut in half. Confused? Yes. Contrary? Definitely. But she's not involved with any evil pursuits.

I'm going to get all writerly on you and look at the words used.

People are blessed when they respond to the voice of God. In short, respond means to reply or react. Respond stops short of "obey."  It suggests that God and I are in a relationship, a conversation. He talks, and I not only listen, but I talk back. 

Relationship, not perfection. 

Abandon, not surprisingly, implies the opposite. A person who abandons God has given up control of her life to someone else. He not only has stopped listening, he no longer intends to obey. 

Disowns. Divorces. Abandons. Alienates. Choose your word.

I have no easy answer here, except to offer this hope: God longs for our response. If we feel that life is confusing and contrary, we can talk with him about it.

And a testimony: In the times I have felt the most confused and contrary, blessing has spilled from me to others. God has blessed others through me. 

SHARP WRITING (Deuteronomy 27)

Today I found more words for writers: Write all the words of this Revelation on the stones. Incise them sharply. (Deuteronomy 27:8, MSG)

"Incise them" throws me for a bit of a loop. Imagine a pair of gigantic teeth chomping down on the stone and carving letters, something like the Rock Biter in Never Ending Story.

I know the verse refers to God's revelation, and the memorial stones of the covenant. But I still think writers can find some lessons here.

Let's think about it. Write all the words. That doesn't necessarily mean to write long books. It means--as I tell aspiring writers all the time--a writer must write. Do you want to improve? Write, write, and write some more. I have improved in large part because I have written almost every day for over two decades.  And I've written plenty of words.

Incise them. Carve out words from my heart. One of the most humorous quips about writing goes about like this: "Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed." Writing that comes from my head is less effective than writing from my heart.

Incise them sharply. Find the right tools to make those words sharp, clear, unmistakeable. Choose the right genre. Mine, for reasons only God understands, is primarily historical romance. Choose the right words. Use grammar properly.

Sharpen your tools. Choose the right colored pencil, the right word. Take classes, read books, accept criticism. Get better.

One final note: Set up the stones. As my friend Reggie McDaniel said, "God didn't give you that story to keep it in a drawer." In these electronic days, I suppose that would be in a computer folder. Share your words. In blogs, letters, articles, books, among friends. Publication is a scary process, but risk it anyways.

Remember I wrote for fourteen years before I got my first book contract!


Okay, writers. Get ready . . . set . . . write.

RUNAWAY TRAIN (Deuteronomy 23)

Don't return a runaway slave to his master; he has come to you for refuge. Let him live wherever he wishes within the protective confines of your city. Don't take advantage of him. (Deuteronomy 23:15-16, MSG)

In the context of laws permitting slavery while protecting the well-being of the slave, this verse caught me by surprise.

Don't return a runaway to his master. 

The slave is not required to prove mistreatment. The wording suggests they need refuge for one reason or another. Perhaps they ran down one of the roads we talked about yesterday, to the nearest town. Once there, the former slave needed to stay put. His safety wasn't guaranteed if he left. But as long stayed within the town, he could live freely, make his own way, free from harrassment or fear.

I wonder if this principle should be expanded. What about political refugees, who flee seeking asylum? Should they be accepted, protected, without questioning? In ancient Israel, foreigners weren't accepted unilaterally. The inhabitants of the land were destined for death. Because of the deceit at Baal Peor, Moabites and Ammonites were banned from the congregation of God. Edomites and Egyptians could become part of the congregation in the third generation.

So it's not necessarily a call for open borders.

How about children who runaway? Should they be returned to parents, to potentially abusive situations?

That's a tougher one. The key, I think, is protection. Children must be in a situation where they are protected--from both abusive families, a faulty welfare system, the mean streets.

I don't know what the answer is.

Today, let's take a moment to pray for those people--slaves, children, refugees--who need to flee from trouble. Pray that they will find a safe place to live, for institutions of slavery and prostitution and oppression to end.

Pray for the peacemakers.

EASY WAY OUT (Deuteronomy 19)

 About 1,400 years before Christ, God commanded Israel to build a national highway system.

Seriously, Moses told them, "build roads to the towns."

The road would probably run through the center of Israel. God told them to divide the land into thirds, and choose one town from each third. They were to be "easily accessible"--no tall mountains or difficult rivers should stand in the way. The road would (probably) span Israel north to south, the way that Interstate 35 runs from Duluth to Laredo and runs a few miles away from the nursing home where I live, hitting a lot of major towns in between.

Here's the kicker: the reason for the road system: "so that anyone who accidentally kills another can flee there."

I read that and envisioned "the fugitive" (an Egyptian-era fugitive, that is), running down the road for his life, seeking sanctuary before the avenger caught up with him.

I love the simple justice dealt for untimely death:

• If it was accidental - the one who caused the death is innocent, and he has the right to seek sanctuary in the Cities of Refuge.
• If the man who killed someone else by accident is himself killed in revenge, that's murder.
• If there is known to be bad blood between two men, and one kills the other, it's considered murder, and the murderer is executed.
• If a dead body is discovered and no one witnessed the death, the elders of the town offer a heifer and proclaim their innocence. The matter is dropped.  (that would be a neat way to get rid of a lot of cold cases!)

But. . .the road system . . .built to protect the rights of the innocent.

Two witnesses to any crime were required before a sentence could be handed out.

Rather than being the harsh "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth," culture as I've often pictured it, God actually created a justice system where guilt had to be proved twice over and the government was supposed to protect the innocent by building them a road. 

When Jesus said He was the way, He put me on the road--the way--to protection. Only in Him do I find refuge for my soul. 

THE WIDOW'S MITE, TAKE TWO (Deuteronomy 16)

We all know the story of the Widow's Mite. Jesus and the disciples watched people putting money into the offering box, or however the money was collected. They must have also brought an offering when they arrived. Some people made a big show of how much they gave.

One poor widow arrived and gave two pennies, the smallest coins of the realm. Jesus said, "She gave more than everyone else, because she gave everything she had."

Her story sprang to mind when I read this verse from Deuteronomy 16:17: No one is to show up in the presence of God empty-handed; each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to the blessings of God, your God.

The widow gave more than she could manage; she gave everything. It was more than generous; some would call it foolish.

But I bet she hardly felt the loss of the money. She felt so blessed by God, she was compelled to give everything she had. She knew the meaning of blessing and rejoicing in the Lord far beyond her daily circumstances.

Oh, Lord, make me like her--in my attitude and in my giving.

TRIGGERS

During the 2012 election, I learned something about myself: politics triggers a deep emotional reaction in me, far out of proportion to the parties or candidates involved.

When someone engages in a debate to convince me why my political views are wrong, I fly back to a place in childhood where abuse taught me You don't know what you know. You don't feel what you feel. You don't think what you think. 

After that, it doesn't matter how well reasoned or polite my opponent is. I am angry at being made to feel stupid and helpless. That's when I decided I should steer clear of political discussions.

Today in Deuteronomy Moses told us one of God's trigger points. (Yup, apparently He has them too.) The Message paraphrase actually uses the word "trigger": The way you handle things like this triggers God. your God's, blessing in everything you do. (Deuteronomy 15:10)

There's something we can do that will create an automatic response from God, blessing on everything we do? Wow. Let me in on the secret.

Here it is: Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. 

A few verses earlier, God said, "When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help. . .don't look the other way."

We know who needs our gifts.

A few practical thoughts:

Give time.  When someone at the nursing home needs a nurse's attention--get it for them.

Give talents. When someone asks me to play the piano--I should play.

Give money. Even to the person sitting at the side of the road. Don't look the other way. 

Don't wait until someone asks for help. Give proactively when you see a need.

Trouble and need don't always mean financial help. It's often the more difficult job of giving of ourselves.

And as we do that . . . as we should do . . . give freely as we have been given much . . .we'll see what response that triggers from God.

Something unexpected. Something amazing. Something wonderful.

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM ME? (Deuteronomy 10)

I didn't plan it this way. God did.

Yesterday I looked at what God promised to us, as His part of keeping the covenant.  Today, I ran across the words What do you think God expects from you? The other half of the equation. I stopped right there.

No new, astounding revelations here. Just a simple summary of what God wants, set in a parenthesis of how we are to live:

LIVE in His presence in holy reverence.

• Follow the road He sets out for you.
• Love Him.
• Serve God with everything in you.
• Obey the commandments.

LIVE a good life.

So, to start with - as I live. As I go about my daily business, keep God on my mind. The first thing God wants is my attention. He wants that relationship with me. 

There is a Christian classic called Practicing the Presence of God by a monk named Brother Lawrence. He worked in the kitchen, but his heart's desire was to live in God's presence.

Oh, yes. Serve God with everything in you. Shades of the greatest commandment. If we love God, that will come naturally.

As I live, I should follow the road He sets out for me. My own, personalized, yellow brick road, that will lead me to the answer to all of my problems and the greatest future I could imagine. 

Obey the commandments - we've heard that one before.

Live a good life. I love the double play on "good."  A good life may mean one that is virtuous, right, or commendable. It may also mean one that is pleasant or agreeable. Most likely it means both. If we live in a way that is virtuous, we will experience pleasant and agreeable circumstances. (Notice: not necessarily easy.)

What does God want from me?  To live with Him. 

Lord, walk with me this day.  

WHAT DO I WANT FROM GOD (Deuteronomy 7)

God, on His part, will keep the covenant of loyal love he made with your ancestors: He will love you. He will bless you. He will increase you. (Deuteronomy 7:13, MSG)

Moses summarizes the blessings God will give to people who show their love by keeping His law:

• I will love you.
• I will bless you.
• I will increase you.

That list covers about everything I want and need. 

I crave love. I am a romantic; I write Christian romance, after all.  Although I bask in the love of my family and of my friends, above all I know that God loves me. 

I need God's blessing. I'm not talking about blessings of prosperity. I need His presence with me, His sustaining grace--His salvation.

I hope for God's increase. I hope for my sphere of influence to expand, I pray that God will use my oh-so-imperfect words and life to touch other's with God's love and His grace (see above two).

The next time you wonder what to ask for, for yourself or someone else, rely on God's promise: His love. His blessing. His increase. 

Amen.

COMPASSION

God, your God, is above all a compassionate God. (Deuteronomy 4:29-31, MSG)

This verse makes me want to sit down and homestead. I want to bookmark it to return to when I'm discouraged, to meditate on it so that it becomes part of my psyche.

Maybe the desire comes from my recent study on the blessings and curses associated with the covenant. God keeps telling Israel how good they have it, how right and fair the laws are, how many reasons why they should be glad.  But knowing their tendency to sin, He also warns them of the consequences.

So this verse serves as a lighthouse, shedding light and hope and a way home for those who are lost in son.

Above all, Your God is a compassionate God.

Above all implies that ore than any other quality God possesses, He is compassionate first. Compassion: feeling with someone else, especially wanting to relieve their suffering. His compassion is superior to human understanding or expression of compassion, and without equal in being able to alleviate our suffering.

My God is compassionate. We are "in relationship." I'm not appealing to some stranger. I'm appealing to the God who chose me as His own.

He is compassionate. Com+passion: He feels our passion with us.  The incarnation, Jesus becoming man, is the greatest expression of His compassion. Jesus became man to know our weaknesses.

There is no sin so bad that God will not forgive it. Yes, our choices put barriers between us and God. But God's overruling compassion made a way to restore us to Him: His Son died on the cross to take away our sin, and He will willingly forgive us for our sins whenever we ask.

We can't outrun God or drive Him away.
He won't let us.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDINGS (Deuteronomy 3)

At last Moses expresses his hurt over not seeing the promised land.

In his final sermon series to Israel, he tells them about his prayer:
     God, my Master, You let me in on the beginnings, You let me see Your greatness, You let me see
     Your might--what god in Heaven or Earth can do what You have done! Please, let me in also
     on the endings, let me cross the river and see the good land over the Jordan, the lush hills, the
     Lebanon mountains. 

Oh, Moses. I want to see it too.

In case you don't already know, God's answer was "no."

Moses came so close.

I have seen God's greatness, not only in stories from others, but in my own life.

But our lives are not like a choose-your-own adventure book. The older I get, the more I realize that I probably won't see all my dreams for this life come true. I'll never run a marathon. I doubt I'll ever make it to Australia. It is still possible, if doubtful, that I will one day be a New York Times best-selling author.

Whether my dreams for this life come to fruition in this lifetime or not, I will be in on the ending. I will see the new heaven and earth. My feet will tread the streets of gold and I will have a heavenly address at 8354 Saints Row.

Maybe Moses will be my neighbor.