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107 “…until the Lord has given your brothers rest, as he has given you…” 

 Joshua 1:15

 The people of God stand as a unit showing the faithfulness of the Lord, therefore we are to be faithful to each other. We do not sit down and rest while our fellow believers are struggling with the fight against the powers of darkness. The Israelites of old were duty bounds to fight with their fellow tribesmen to conquer all enemies and settle in the promised land. They could not rest until every countryman and woman were safe and secure. So also we fight to ensure that all the elect people of God are gathered in and settled forever in the land of promise – heaven.

 We cannot cease from evangelism which is the job of every saint of God not just financing causes but entering into the fight for souls that happens all around us every day. We cannot tell who God has chosen so we throw out the offer of salvation to every soul we can see. We use every opportunity to witness and point to the truths about God and the reality of the doctrines of God. We must warn people of the threat of punishment and the realities of the heavenly home. We must give all around us the opportunity to believe and make a choice for Christ. God will honour all our efforts and we will lay up treasure in heaven.

“This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

 Matthew 24:14

 Time is short and eternity is long and we must bear the witness to the end of the earth.

106 “My glittering sword…”

 Deuteronomy 32:41

 This phrase is part of the song of Moses as He relates the ways of the Lord to the people of God. It speaks to us of God’s sword of majestic justice that he will surely wield for the benefit of His people and the judgement of all who deviate from his commands.

 The Lord is holy in all His ways and will never tolerate evil or the slightest sin in His presence. He has provided a way of escape for the sinner to be able to stand before Him in righteousness and joy, through the death of Christ and the restitution He has accomplished for us.

 The glittering and flashing sword of the justice of God fell on Christ the Son so that we might never have to suffer the punishment for our sin. The beauty of this plan of salvation is ever before us and we rejoice daily in its truth and security.

 We should glory in the justice of God for it is what makes Him great and glorious. The closer we are to our Lord and God, the more we appreciate that glittering glory and the holiness that surrounds the throne of God. Those who are far away from God resent that perfect justice and carp and quibble about its fairness. God cannot tolerate or ignore sin and it must all be paid for. We end up paying for it ourselves if we will not bow our stubborn will to the salvation of God.

 God is wholly righteous and we are not. We give Him all the praise for who He is and what He has done. It is indeed great and glorious and we should be careful to obey.

 

105 “For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it.”

 Deuteronomy 30:16

 There are so many blessings to be experienced and known because of the character of the Lord our God and His utter faithfulness to us. The blessings are in no way purely temporal, but we enjoy the deep spiritual blessing of peace and joy as we obey the Word of the Lord and walk in his holy ways. We are not to look to this world, for it is full of idols that would take us away from the full enjoyment of our salvation. The Lord makes His ways a command so that we are in no doubt as to the importance of them. We are to keep to the whole council of God and not deviate from it but walk all the days of our life in its precepts and decrees.

 We can know such deep blessings as we avail ourselves of His love and turn aside from the pleasures and temptations of this vain world. We should treasure the Word of God and make sure we are walking in its ways and not according to our own design. We have a treasure to possess in the eternal kingdom which we must be sure to keep adding to by our devotion to the Lord and our service to Him. The Lord will honour and keep the inheritance for His precious people, and we are blessed as we serve Him here and now.

“The Lord’s blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.”

 Proverbs 10:22

104 “But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”

 Deuteronomy 30:14

 The Word of God is very precious and should grow in its attraction to us as the days go by. We should be enamoured with its truth and comfort and all the promises that God makes to His people which are certain and sure. The Word of God should be the nearest thing we possess as we read and learn it by heart so that we can call on it at a moments notice.

 God does not hide from us but reveals Himself in His holy Word so that we can know Him more and more and live life in His divine favour. He will not allow us to be disappointed with His Word for it is a sure and certain Word. Nothings can take it ways or detract from it but we love it more and more as we delve deep into its pages and believe it.

 It is the sure and certain truth of God through all ages and for all people – no one is left out and people work tirelessly to translate it so that more people can come to read and understand it.

 The purpose of the Word of God is so that we will live its truth obediently and with all humility, not our own ideas but the will of God.

 Those who follow it are never let down or left out but we can draw near at any time and find our strength and comfort in that holy and beautiful Word. Let us commit into the deep places of our mind and learn it fully and well. It will not disappoint us but be out strength and stay.

 

103 “You shall sacrifice peace offerings, and shall eat there. You shall rejoice before the Lord your God.”

 Deuteronomy 27:7

 This is the certain way to life and peace, that we should rejoice always before the Lord and not stumble about in doubts and fears. Every day we make our peace offering to the Lord as we confess our sin and turn from it. The Lord ever waits for us to confess and make our way to His throne to find rest and peace.

 That place is a place where we can find sustenance for our souls and minds and hearts. It is the place of rest for the Christian who struggles with the difficulties of life and is full of fears and doubts. We do not have to live with this for our Lord is our refuge in times of trouble and He will conquer all our fears.

“The Lord will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.”

 Psalm 9:9

 God is always ready to be our fortress and our high tower of peace and refuge. We find our true home there and we can rejoice in the Lord. This is the purpose of His love for us that we should not fret for it leads only to evil.

 Let us rejoice in our God and the fact that he has made peace for us through the blood of the everlasting covenant and we can enjoy His love.

“I will hear what God, the Lord, will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, his saints; but let them not turn again to folly” Psalm 85:8

102 “The Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.” 

 Deuteronomy 26:7

 The Lord is not slow to see and hear the voice of our affliction and the pains we suffer in this life. Life can be very testing, and we can often find ourselves alone and in emotional pain. The Lord sees our need and will provide a way of escape. We must bring all our cares to the Lord and lean on His everlasting arms.

“My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

 Philippians 4:19

God is not slow concerning His promises and will rescue us even from the pains in our mind. God will overrule and give us peace as we walk in His ways and look to Him in our troubles. Just as the Lord heard the voice of His people in slavery in Egypt, so the Lord hears us when we cry to Him. He sees and He understands and will deliver us. This is the promise to the people of God, but those who refuse Him are left to sort out their own problems which often we cannot do. The world can be so oppressive, and the Christian pathway seems so dark and narrow, yet our loving God is always there even when we are unable to feel His presence or see His hand at work. We trust in Him and this is what pleases the Lord. As we cope with trials and troubles, so our faith grows and we are better able to stand against the tide of pains and pressures.

 Our God will never leave us to cope alone so let us trust fully in Him and please Him by casting all our cares upon Him.

 

100  “They shall not appear before the Lord empty.”

 Deuteronomy 16:16

 This is the promise to every true hearted believer in the Lord Jesus who has given everything to Him and serves Him with a full heart of love. Our love for Christ should be our motivation for our service, that we will have gifts to give Him when we stand before Him at the end time. The promise is that we will not be empty. O that we might serve Him more fully that we have more to give and not less.

 This is the heart of the generous giver who has laid all on the altar of God and has presented their bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. We are to give all for the one who gave all for us.

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.”

 Romans 12:1

 We do not belong to ourselves any longer but have been set apart for Christ to love and serve with all our heart. It is not good to be saved just as by fire and have nothing to give the Lord when He returns. We may be in heaven but with no inheritance or gifts to present. We should be working to make sure this does not happen and that we are found fruitful servants of God. What joy we will have as we present our crowns at the feet of our Lord who has done all for us and who we can now bless with gifts. Let us be always working with this in view.

 

99 “You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.”

 Deuteronomy 15:10

 We are not to hold back in our generous giving to others who need our help. The Lord graciously gives us health and strength to work and grants us jobs that we can go to and earn a living. The Lord enables us to have more that we need, and we should be giving to others who are not so blessed or who struggle with life. We are to give with a generous heart and not seeking anything in return. The Lord enables us to work all our lives so that we have funds for ourselves and others. We give our tithe to the work for the Lord and give other gifts as the Lord prospers us. We should not be keeping large sums of money for ourselves but to give to causes that are involved in spreading the Word of God. There are plenty to choose from and we make discerning judgements about where we put our resources.

 God loves the cheerful giver who knows that God will always supply their needs and is caring for them. It is the act of faith to give and not hoard our resources to ourselves.

 As we give, so we are blessed in our souls and know the good pleasure of our loving heavenly Father who allows us to minister in this way. Let us give and give and not hold back.

“Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.”

1 Chronicles 29:9

98 “You shall not eat any abominable thing.“

 Deuteronomy 14:3

 Throughout scripture God makes it very clear that His people are to be set apart and keep themselves clean from all filthiness and impure things. This is not just about eating certain food and abstaining from others, but to keep our whole life holy and acceptable to God. Holiness is the key and we must keep our pathway of life clear from all taint of sin.

 Anything that was associated with death was counted as unclean and the people of God were to stay away from it. We are children of the light and therefore we follow the light of the world in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We keep to the guided pathway of the narrow way and keep our lives free from the slightest hint of sin. We are to reject all the ways of this world and the temptations of the evil one. It is not just about keeping the rules but having our hearts set on purity and holiness to the Lord. We must be very particular about our daily lives and walk circumspectly with the Lord.

“…who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.”

 Titus 2:14

 The standard of our life is in the person of our Lord Jesus who lived a perfect life and our desire is to be like Him at all costs. This is a strong desire in the Christian, and we subjugate all sin to the rule of Christ. We remain holy for God has made us holy and we live in that light.