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OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for August 2024
September 1, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:5, 6 – And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord you God.
Thought: During the forty years Israel was in the wilderness, God took care of them. Their clothes did not become ragged. Their shoes did not wear out. The Lord also nourished them. He gave them manna from heaven and quail to eat. They needed no medications such as wine or strong drink to survive. The Lord cared for them that they might know that He was the Lord their God. This provision sadly did not keep some from rebelling against His will.
Nehemiah 9:21
September 2, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:7, 8 – And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them: and we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
Thought: When Israel approached the Promised Land, the asked Sihon for passage along the border of his kingdom. He, however, refused to grant passage. Israel, therefore, fought against him and took his land. Og, on the other hand, came out against Israel to do battle. He, too, was defeated by Israel. This land was well suited for flocks and herds. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh asked if they could possess it. That right was granted.
Numbers 32:1-5
September 3, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:9 – Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.
Thought: This one verse summarizes the main exhortation Moses was making to the children of Israel prior to their crossing the Jordan River. Keeping the words of their covenant with God was the key to their happiness and their prosperity. Two words stand out in this text: “do them.” There are many who find excuses not to do the Lord’s will. If they would expend as much energy just doing what God commands, their lives would prosper.
Psalm 103:17-18
September 4, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:10, 11 – Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water.
Thought: When God made His covenant with His people, He did not simply address the leadership of the nation. He did not merely gather the men into His presence. Instead, He made sure all of the people stood before him. Leaders, men, women, little ones, and the strangers that were in their camp were present to agree to the terms of the Lord’s covenant. This procedure was the most equitable. No one was forced into this covenant with Jehovah.
2 Chronicles 23:16
September 5, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:12, 13 – That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Thought: Covenants and oaths were serious matters in Bible times. Once made and entered into, they were to be faithfully kept by all parties involved. The covenant that God made with Israel established them as a people for God. It also affirmed that Jehovah would be there God. This was the fulfillment of promises made to the patriarchs many, many years before the covenant transpired. Regardless of the amount of time that passes, God is faithful.
2 Peter 3:8-10
September 6, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:14, 15 – Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not with us this day.
Thought: Multitudes of Israelites agreed to God’s covenant. However, they needed to understand this was not just a generational covenant. It was a multi-generational covenant. It was being made with Israel and all their descendants. This is why it was imperative for the Jews to diligently teach the Law of Moses unto their children. God’s plan to bring the Messiah into the world would be fulfilled, but it would take generations to accomplish.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
September 7, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:16, 17 – (For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye have passed by; and ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:).
Thought: Israel had lived in the land of Egypt for a long period of time. They had witnessed the idolatry practiced by the Egyptians. In the wilderness, they also witnessed the idolatry of the nations they passed by. God said: “Ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them.” They were not being warned about something unknown to them. They had experienced the vanity and folly personally.
Acts 17:22-23
September 8, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:18 – Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.
Thought: God knew the abominations of the heathen could present a temptation to some in Israel. The temptation could impact a man, a woman, a family, or and entire tribe. Such an action would involve their hearts being turned away from the Lord their God. A root of this nature found within the Israelite community would bear evil fruit. The fruit is described as gall, a poisonous plant, and wormwood meaning to curse, which was also poisonous.
Jeremiah 9:13-15
September 9, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:19 – And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst.
Thought: Self-deception is dangerous to the well-being of man. It can harm him physically. It can destroy him spiritually. God had set forth the nature of the curses He would bring upon Israel if they disobeyed Him. However, some citizens of the nation would bless themselves in their hearts, “saying, I have shall peace.” They said this while they walked in the imaginations of their own heart and while indulging in all sensual gratifications.
Psalm 10:4-6
September 10, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:20 – The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.
Thought: Some men convince themselves that they can defy God without suffering the consequences. They tell themselves: “I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart.” Moses reminds these individuals, saying: “The Lord will not spare him.” God is sovereign, not man. God is Lord and Master, not man. The rebellious anger the Lord. They will suffer God’s curses and will have their names blotted out from under heaven.
Ezekiel 5:11
September 11, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:21 – And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law.
Thought: This verse begins with the words: “And the Lord shall separate...” This is a common theme found in the Scriptures. God often separates the good from the bad, the righteous from the unrighteous. When God divides the sheep from the goats, He never makes a mistake. The righteous are rewarded. The evil doers suffer His curses. Truly, God is a just God. He makes the perfect distinction between the holy and the profane.
Malachi 3:18
September 12, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:22, 23 – So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they shall see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon it; and that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass grown therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath.
Thought: We will not be the only ones who will see the consequences of the sins we commit in this life. Others such as our children and strangers will see the consequences as well. Our lives are not lived in a vacuum. We do not live on remote islands isolated from others. Some see our lives as we live them. Others only see the consequences our lives have brought into the world. Sometimes others will learn from our sins. Sometimes they will repeat them.
Leviticus 26:31-32
September 13, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:24 – Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
Thought: The nation of Israel was unique. It was a peculiar treasure unto Jehovah God. Israel did not worship many gods. They worshipped one God. They proclaimed Him to be the only true and living God to the world. They were in a covenant relationship with Him. He had blessed them immensely. When God punished them for their disobedience, the surrounding nations were in awe. They saw the heat of God’s answer and wondered: “Why?”
Jeremiah 22:8-9
September 14, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:25, 26 – Then men shall say, because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he hath made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: for they went and served other gods, and worshiped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given them.
Thought: The explanation wasn’t difficult. Israel had forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers. Too, they served other gods. God is a serious God. God is a jealous God. God is a faithful God. God is a just God. When Israel agreed to enter into a covenant relationship with God, it was not a lighthearted matter. Israel, and all the world, would learn this if they forsook the covenant. Their destruction would affirm God’s character.
2 Kings 17:7-12
September 15, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:27, 28 – And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: and the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.
Thought: Man has great difficult understanding the anger of the Lord. He often believes that God eagerly longs to strike out in vengeance against man. This is not the case at all. God is loving, kind, merciful, and very forgiving. However, when man violates God’s law, divine justice must be meted out. This wrath matches the greatness of the God we serve. It is strong and intense. It is designed to manifest the seriousness of forsaking God and His law.
Isaiah 30:27-28
September 16, 2024
Deuteronomy 29:29 – The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Thought: There are things that God has not revealed to mankind. Moses writes that these belong to God. Man has to be honest enough to say: “I do not know because God has not revealed this to us.” However, those things that have are revealed are very important. They “belong unto us and to our children for ever.” God did not give them simply for us to possess. It is our responsibility to “do all the words of this law.” Obedience is required.
Romans 16:25-26
September 17, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:1, 2 – And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Thought: The blessing and the curses of God have a similar design. Their purpose is to keep Israel faithful. When Israel disobeyed God, the curses of God would come against them. They would be taken captive by strange nations. There they would remember the blessings of faithfulness prior to the captivity and yearn for them. Wanting to escape captivity and longing for the blessings of obedience, they would turn back to God and obey Him fully.
Nehemiah 1:8-9
September 18, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:3 – That the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.
Thought: God is a God of justice and wrath. When man rejects God and disobeys His will, God will strike out in vengeance. However, this is only one side of God. When a man repents of his sins and turns back to God, God is willing and eager to forgive. If Israel turned to God while in captivity, God promised to have compassion upon the nation. He would deliver them from captivity, gather them from the nations, and restore them to their land.
Ezekiel 34:12-13
September 19, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:4, 5 – If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of the heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
Thought: God had a plan for Israel and longed to bring that plan to fruition. However, its fulfillment depended upon Israel’s obedience. Sadly, Israel often rebelled against God. But, when they turned back to Him, God responded positively to them. He brought them out of captivity and back to their land. He was good to them. He blessed them above how He had blessed their fathers. Why can’t human beings learn that God longs to bless them?
Ezra 1:1-4
September 20, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:7 – And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
Thought: At times, God used evil nations to punish his people. The Northern Kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians. The Southern Kingdom was taken captive by the Babylonians. God did not do this because He approved of the wicked nations. Instead of approving of them, He brought punishment upon them. When Judah turned back to God, God delivered them and brought curses upon Babylon. They were overthrown by the Persians.
Jeremiah 51:34-37
September 21, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:8 – And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.
Thought: There are two points that are very important from this verse. First, when men obey God’s Word, they are obeying “the voice of the Lord.” The pens of different men wrote the words of the Bible, but they all penned words that came from the same voice. It was God’s voice. Second, God has always emphasized obedience to His will. Obedience is not evil. Obedience is essential. God is sovereign and commands. Man is a servant and obeys.
Galatians 3:1
September 22, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:9, 10 – And the Lord will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Thought: God rewards the faithful. Faithfulness is defined as hearkening to the voice of the Lord. It is also defined as keeping the commandments and statutes written in the book of the law. Faithfulness involves all of the heart and all of the soul. When man is faithful, God showers His blessings upon the individual. His blessings can reach every aspect of his life. Moses notes four areas in the verses above. God’s blessings are the result of His joy.
Zephaniah 3:17
September 23, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:11 – For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
Thought: God never deals with mankind in a deceitful manner. He sets forth His law. He plainly lays before the eyes of men the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. He does not hide His will from man. He does not make it difficult for them to obtain. Barnes writes: “Ignorance of the law cannot be pleaded” (e-sword). Understanding God’s will may take time. It may take effort. Those who seek His will can know it.
Ephesians 3:3-7
September 24, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:12, 13 – It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Thought: God has not hidden His revelation from man. Man does not have to try to find it in the heavens. He does not have to search for it in the depths of the sea. It is found in the pages of a book that almost all can name, The Holy Bible. God does not want man to be ignorant of His will (2 Tim. 2:4). He wants all to live an abundant life (John 10:10), a blessed life (Ps. 1:1-2), a life of freedom (John 8:32), and a life that leads to the holy city (Rev. 22:14).
Romans 16:26
September 25, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:14 – But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Thought: God’s word is “very nigh” unto all men. Most homes have a copy of the Bible in them. Some have many Bibles within them. Thus, the Word is nigh. Too, there are many people who have picked up the Bible and read some of its message. This causes the Word of God to be even nearer. It has been seen with their eyes. It has been spoken with their lips. It has entered into the depth of the mind. Only one thing remains. The person must do it.
Romans 10:8-10
September 26, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:15 – See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.
Thought: God presents man with two choices: life and good, or, death and evil. First, a person cannot choose both. Second, God does not have any more options to present. Third, a choice must be made. Fourth, a person will make a choice even if he does not intentionally make a choice. Fifth, the choice should be simple. Sixth, the choice involves this world. Seventh, the choice involves one’s eternal destiny. We conclude with this: Choose wisely!
1 Kings 18:21
September 27, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:16 – In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Thought: Most say they love God. Too, most would choose life over death. If this is the case, why don’t more individuals choose to do the things that manifest these affirmations? All man must do is walk in the ways of God and keep his commandments, statutes, and judgments. Israel was told that not only would they live, but they would multiply and would be blessed in the Promised Land. Yes, obeying God proves love and brings life. Obey!
1 John 5:2-3
September 28, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:17, 18 – But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
Thought: All men are free moral agents. By this, we mean all have the freedom to choose. Israel could choose to obey God. She could also choose to turn away from God and worship other gods and serve them. All choices have consequences. The consequences of turning from God were severe. God told the Israelites they would perish. Too, their days would not be prolonged in the land of Canaan. Do we believe God? Apparently, Israel did not.
Proverbs 1:32
September 29, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:19 – I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed might live.
Thought: In this verse, there are four points made by God, the Holy Spirit, and Moses. First, there is THE WITNESSES ARE CALLED: “I call heaven and earth to record against you.” Second, THE OPTIONS ARE CONVEYED: “…that I have set before you life and death…” Third, THE CHOICE IS COMMANDED: “…therefore choose life…” Fourth, THE REASON IS CONFIRMED: “…that both thou and thy seed might life.” Life should be a simple choice.
Proverbs 8:36
September 30, 2024
Deuteronomy 30:20 – That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Thought: Can a person be reminded of the blessings of choosing life too often? Moses did not think so. If Israel would love God, obey His voice, and cleave unto Him they would have life, length of days, and would dwell long in the land promised to their forefathers. For some reason, God’s people can be told time and time again, but they do not grasp the significance of what is said. At some point, God hopes His people will hear, and say: “Now I understand.”
John 11:25-26
Read devotionals for October 2024