Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
Luke 7:36-8:3
Psalm 69:1-18
Proverbs 12:1
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CityLight Pastor Commentary:
In Deuteronomy 8, God discloses His purpose for leading Israel through the wilderness. Had the children of Israel been obedient, their journey to the Promised Land would have been short. Because of their disobedience (failure to heed God’s leading), God brought them through a 40-year process “…that He might humble [them] and that He might test [them], to do [them] good in the end” (Deut 8:16). Even after Israel came into the Promised Land, God disclosed that He would only drive out their enemies ‘little by little’ (Deut 7:22). If God drove out all Israel’s enemies at once, the land would be desolate and overrun with wild animals. The pace, while slower than Israel wanted, was actually in the nation’s best interest. The lack of immediate deliverance did not negate God’s promise that He would give them the land – but it did reiterate that it would be according to His timing, not theirs. Whenever we find ourselves in the middle of a process, we must be patient. Retrace your steps; recall the last instructions God gave you and make sure you follow through on them. Beyond that, do your best to understand that you are in the middle of a process that will do you good in the end.
Prayer:
Father, help me to enjoy the process You have me in! Thank You that you train me as a child, and not as a brute. Thank You that the Blood of Jesus Christ allows You to show me compassion, even when I deserve rebuke. Thank You for being gentle with me!