By Toni Ford
The Book of Deuteronomy is essentially Moses’ farewell address to a new generation of Israelites. In the sixth chapter, we find Moses reminding the members of this new generation that they must never stop teaching the meaning of the laws to their children and telling the numerous stories of how the Lord brought His people out of slavery. One of the recurring stories that Moses encourages the people to talk about over and over is found in Deuteronomy 6:23, in which Moses says to tell the children how “He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors.” “He brought us out…so He could give.” There is so much power, wisdom and truth in that one sentence! As I read and re-read that sentence over and over during this past week, two thoughts stood out.
Greatness. There is nothing too big for our God. If He can bring the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt (a place of bondage and slavery) in order to give them freedom and a place full of abundance (the Promised Land), then He can do the same for you and me! Therefore, the question becomes, is there an area in your life where you need deliverance? Is there an area you need the Lord to bring you out of so that He can give you something new? The first step to freedom is to be honest with God and ourselves, recognize our need and surrender it to Him. In order to receive the Promised Land God provides for us, we must simply take the steps to obey Him and what He is telling us to do for today. Don’t worry about tomorrow; just follow and obey Him, today. Remember that nothing is too big for our God!
Gratefulness. One of the reasons Moses wanted the people of Israel to pass down the stories of God’s faithfulness to their children and their children’s children was so they would always remember how God brought them out servitude in order to give them something better! Think back to a time when God brought you out of rough situation only to provide you with something better, something that could only come from Him! May we never forget to give God thanks for what He has already accomplished in our lives! The Lord blesses a grateful heart, and He never gets tired of hearing His children tell Him, “thank you.”
Deuteronomy 6:24-25 is a good summary of not just our part in being brought out, but also a reminder of God’s faithfulness to each of us as we take those steps: “And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.”
Lord, we come to You today to thank You for all You have done in our lives in bringing us out of bad situations and give us something better. We thank You for Your faithfulness and the knowledge that there is nothing too big for You, which means no situation is too hopeless for You to handle. Please open our hearts and minds and make us willing to see the areas where freedom from bondage is still needed. Thank you for walking with us as we surrender these areas to You. Thank You for Your incredible love for each of us!
If you would like continued prayer, feel free to email me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!
