Mon.’s Devo - True Blessings

Read: Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20; Luke 7:36-8:3; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1
God is always looking ahead to the future. He knew there would come a time that they drove out their enemies out of the land. He wanted them to stay clean and free so he gave them these instructions. First, they must destroy their enemies totally. They were not to make any treaty with them or show them any mercy. They were not to intermarry with them or give their daughter to their sons or take they daughters for their sons or else they would turn them to worship other gods and the Lord’s anger would burn against them. They were to break down their altars and smash their sacred stones, cut down and burn their idols in the fire.
This shows us how God feels about sin. Our enemies are not so obvious. They are not clothed in armor or visible. They are the attitudes of our heart, the fears in our head, the habits we have identified as “that’s just how I am”. That is a wrong concept - not Biblical. We can have the mind of Christ which is not afraid, envious, ashamed, judgmental, hateful, unkind, selfish or haughty. We can…if we choose to.
God gave them the blessings of paying attention to God’s laws and loving Him with all their hearts. The blessings are amazing: God’s love, fruitfulness, prosperity and divine health. The land God was giving them was good: plenty of water, wheat, barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where there was no lack. In God, there is no lack!
In Luke, we see Jesus eating at the home of a rich Pharisee named Simon. While he was there, a woman with a bad reputation came and anointed Jesus feet with myrrh. Simon judged Jesus in his heart thinking that if he was a prophet he should know that she was a sinner. Jesus, who knew all hearts rebuked him for thinking that way and tried to show him a better way to think. This woman had many sins to be forgiven which made her love Jesus all the more. Simon, who thought he had no sins was not able to love.
I don’t want you to miss the few verses in chapter 8 that tell us the three women who supported Jesus ministry with their money. One was Mary Magdalene who had been possessed with 7 devils; one was the wife of Herod’s manager, and one was
a lady named Susanna. These are the only people mentioned who supported Jesus’ ministry with monetary means.
Lord, help us to live in your blessings and understand that the greatest blessing cannot be measured in monetary means.