February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalms 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
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