daily spiritual reflection - mar. 9

daily spiritual reflection

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: "See I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this is a great nation with a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only, be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

-Moses

-Deuteronomy 4:5-9 

THOUGHT: This passage is drawn from a time in history right after Moses had led the Israelite people out of Egypt (where they were enslaved) to freedom, when he was giving the people a new set of laws, passed on from God. These laws would distinguish the Hebrew people from other nations, setting them apart as God's own. But the laws were also an amazing tribute to God's sense of justice and how much he cared about his people. He gave them rules that would benefit their health, prevent corruption, protect the poor & lowly, and much more. God's sense of authority was one of a caring heart, of wisdom, of relationship, of stewardship. He was not power-hungry, exploitative, dictatorial, or any other quality that other nations associated with leaders. He was good.

This goodness is what brings Moses to his amazing sense of wonder as he speaks about the laws of the Lord. He describes how they bring wisdom and understanding. He expresses amazing gratitude that God is near and listens to prayers. He loves the laws of the Lord. Maybe you've read the Bible since you were a kid, or maybe you've never even picked one up, but try to imagine associating Moses' attitude with your own thoughts about reading Holy Scripture. Do you feel merely obligated to pick it up, or do you feel grateful and awestruck, like Moses? Do you feel like you gain wisdom and understanding by practicing obedience (to God's laws), or do you feel confused? Do you feel like you are a part of a wise and understanding people, or do you feel like God's laws make you seem only foolish?  Does God to you seem like a distant dictator, or a benevolent leader who listens to prayers, is always present and interacting with you? Think about where these ideas come from.

Lastly, Moses cautions his listeners to 'be careful... and do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart..." It is so easy to experience something worth believing in, in our world today, and then be convinced out of it afterward, and to forget where that sense of faith came from. This is nothing new-- even the Israelites did this: God brought them across the Red Sea and freed them from slavery, and they still sometimes denied his existence, turned away from him, and seemed to forget all the things he had done for them. Can you think of times when you believed in something and then let it fade away, because you got disheartened in believing? It's so easy to lose faith or hope or meaning in our world-- these are things we have to fight for in life. Is there anything now that you believe that you are worried will just fade away?

CHALLENGE:  This passage gives a clear command: do not forget. Spend some time today thinking about the things worth believing in, that life seems to have convinced you out of. One good way to practice this command is to write things down.  If you haven't yet experienced something in your life that looks like the work of God, ask God to do something memorable in your life and keep an eye out for what he might be up to-- in your family, friendships, work, gifts, attitude, etc. If you have experienced something that seems like God's work in your life before, write it down-- even if you're not sure, just say "maybe" and write it anyhow. If you have a particular question that seems to be working against your beliefs or cause more confusion, write that down, and ask God to teach you more in that area-- ask him to show you what He thinks. Perhaps write in a journal so that you can write things down more regularly-- see if more things come up even this week.