Tues.’s Devo - God Reigns Over All

Read: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27 The children of Israel had been traveling around the mountain country of Mt. Seir until the Lord told them to turn north. They would pass through the land of Esau who would be afraid of them. They were to be considerate of them and their land because the Lord had given their land to them. They were to pay for food and water with all the Lord had blessed them. The land Esau lived in had been given them as a possession just like the land God was giving them in Canaan. *** Then they would go through the wilderness of the Moabites. They were to treat them the same as they treated Esau’s people. God had given the Moabites their land and they were just to pass through. The Lord had helped the Moabites take their land from the Anakim and the Horites who were giants. *** Next, they were to pass through the land the Lord had given to the people of Ammon. The Moabites and the Ammonites were both descendants of Lot. They had both dispossessed the giants that lived in their land by the help of the Lord. *** God was showing the children of Israel that He was the one who owned the land, and he could give it to whoever he wanted. The people of Esau, the Amonites and the Moabites had all encountered land possessed by giants and had prevailed. This should encourage them that they could also possess their land full of giants. *** Once they had passed through their relative’s land they would come to the land of Sihon the Amorite. They were to war with him and take his land. God would cause the whole earth to fear them because God was with them. *** First, they sent word ahead to Sihon the king of the Amorites asking if they could pass peacefully through their land. They offered to pay for their food and water. God hardened Sihon’s heart so he wouldn’t give them permission to pass through their land. Now, they had a reason to war with Sihon. Sihon came out against them to fight and God gave the Israelites the victory. They took their cities and their land leaving no survivors. They kept the livestock and the possessions. *** Then they traveled to Bashan and met king Og. He met them to battle and the Lord gave them over to him as he did king Sihon. Their land was given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh. They settled their children and wives in the land, then their warriors went with the rest of Israel into possess the land God had given them. *** Moses was allowed to go up on Mt. Pisgah and see the land he had spent his life leading the people to possess. He came down and charged Joshua to be strong and courageous and take possession of the land because God had given it to them. *** In Luke, Jesus and his disciples were together with a huge crowd of followers. Jesus began to teach them and bless them. He blessed them with the kingdom, satisfaction, laughter, and joy in the midst of persecution. Then he cursed their persecutors - those who were now rich, full, laughing and revered, because they wouldn’t end up that way. *** To those who had ears to hear, he told to love their enemies, bless the ones who cursed them and pray for their abusers. He told them to return good for bad and do to their enemies like they want to be treated. *** We are to do the hard thing that is not natural because God is love and he loves the sinner. We are to be merciful like God is. We are not to judge or condemn because that is God’s job. We are to forgive and be kind because that is what will come back on us if we do. *** Lord, may we store up treasures in heaven with our attitude, our actions and our love. May we remember how you have forgiven us, and give that same forgiveness to others. May we remember that it is You who own the whole earth. You decide who rules and who owns the land. May we trust you to bring us into our possession.