Mon.’s Devo - Moses’ Song

Read: Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27; Luke 12:8-34; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 12:21-23 When Moses had finished explaining all God required of them and all he would do for them, he said he would not be the one leading them - Joshua would. God would go before them and destroy the nations living in the land. He would give the people into their hands. He told them to be strong and courageous. He would not fail them or abandon them. *** Moses wrote down everything the Lord had told him and put it in a book for them to read when they met together. They must learn to fear the Lord and obey all his commands. *** God said that when they got to the land and experienced prosperity they would turn away from him and worship other gods. They would break God’s covenant and he would bring all the disasters upon them written in the book. *** Moses taught the people the words of the song and gave it to the Levites to be placed beside the Ark of the Covenant so it would be a witness to the people of what God said. *** God knew the people were rebellious and that they would become utterly corrupt and turn from him, so Moses taught them the song in verses 32:1-43. We only read 27 of the verses today. *** In the song, the people are reminded of how just and holy the Lord is and how rebellious and perverse they are. The song told of how the Lord found them in a desert land and took care of them as their Father. He gave them the best of the land but they became fat and happy and abandoned the Lord. They worshiped foreign gods who had done nothing for them. *** In response, the Lord would bring disasters upon them and whittle down their numbers. Their enemies would declare that they did this to Israel and not the Lord. *** In Luke, God tells us that what we do on earth reflects what will happen in heaven. If we profess the Lord on earth, we will be acknowledged in heaven. If we speak against the Son of Man (Jesus on earth), we can be forgiven. If we blaspheme the Holy Spirit (Jesus’ Spirit given to us after the resurrection), we will not be forgiven. *** When believers are brought to trial because of their faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit will give them what to say. *** A man came to Jesus asking him to make his brother divide their father’s estate with him. Jesus told him he was not a judge over such matters and instead told the man to guard his heart against greed. Life was meant for higher things. Jesus told a story of a rich man who ran out of room to store all his wealth for himself so he planned to build bigger barns to store it. The Lord called this man a fool and he died that night. God asked the man, “now, who will get everything you worked for?” *** The point that God was making is that the wealth we are given is not for ourselves only, but to share with others and better the world around us. Besides, God has stored up in his barn everything we will ever need. The best place for us to store up our treasures is in heaven. No one can steal them there. We do this by giving what we have to the Lord and his Kingdom. *** Giving is a heart matter. Lord, may our hearts be full of gratefulness and generosity. May we be a funnel for your blessings to flow through. May they not get stopped up by greed or fear of lack.