Sun.’s Devo - God Controls the Earth

Read: Deuterony 2:1-3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27 Moses was still recapping the history of their journey through the wilderness to the children. When they traveled north of mount Seir they came to the land of the children of Esau. God told them not to get in any arguments with them. Pay them for any food or water you use on their land because God had given them their land. *** Then they came to the land of the Moabites and God told them the same thing. God had given the Moabites their land for their possession. The giants called Anakims or Emims had lived there before God gave the land to the Moabites. *** The wandered for 38 years until all the first generation had died. Then they passed over the brook Zered which means “the stranger subdued”. The stranger that was subdued was their parents who refused to honor God as their God. They passed through Ar which belonged to the Moabites. Ar means “awakening” and those that had awakened were the ones who God would give the land. *** Next, they came to the land of the Ammonites who had taken their land from the giants called Zamzummims. The Lord had helped them take the land so they could possess it. So the Israelites were not to take their land because He had given it to the children of Esau, the Ammonites. *** But, when they passed over the river Arnon which means “eternity” they came to the land of the Amorites where Sihon was king, God told them to engage him in battle and possess his land. This battle would put fear in the people whose land they were to take in Canaan. *** So, Moses sent a message to King Sihon offering to pay them to let them pass through their land. He refused to let them because God hardened his heart so they would have to engage him in battle. Sihon came out against the Israelites and fought them at Jahaz. Jahaz means “trodden down” and the Lord delivered him to the Israelites and they took all his cities and utterly destroyed the men, women and children so that none remained and spoiled the cities. *** They did the same to King Og, the king of Bashan even though they had walled cities and even though they were giants. Og’s bed was 13.5 feet by 6 feet. His land was given to the Reubenites and the Gadites. Bashan was given to the half tribe of Manasseh. All of this was before they crossed over into Canaan. The fighting men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh would cross over and fight for the land of their brothers and then return to enjoy their land. *** They were not to fear the people in the land because just like God had given them the land of Og and Sihon, he would give them the land of Canaan. *** Moses prayed that God would let him go over to the land and see what was beyond the Jordan, but the Lord told him not to ask him again. He would not go over, but he could climb Pisgah and see it with his eyes. He was to strengthen Joshua to go over and inherit the land. *** In Luke, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray and when he returned he chose 12 men to be his disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon, Judas, and Judas Iscariot. *** A multitude was waiting for him to heal them and cleanse them of unclean spirits. He preached his famous sermon blessing the poor, and those who hunger and weep now. He spoke of a day when all their persecution, tears and suffering would be turned to joy. The ones who were prospering now would not prosper in the end. He told them how to handle their enemies. They were to love them, pray for them, and not seek revenge. They were to treat them like they would want to be treated and have mercy on them. They were not to judge them but forgive them. *** This is very convicting to me in the light of what is going on in the world. To save our souls, we can not let their hatred get into us. We have to be different and let God’s love rule our hearts. *** Lord, help us to live what you have told us is pleasing to you. Help us to forgive and not seek revenge or have hatred in our hearts. May we walk in faith and courage and stand for righteousness and Your truth.