SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 1
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” [Matthew 28:17-20] In Deuteronomy 1 and Matthew 28, a crossroads is described. Moses is recalling what happened before, while Jesus is looking ahead to what was about to happen.
In both stories we see doubt, we hear the command to go, and the assurance of the Lord’s presence for success. In both stories the followers need faith, courage, and confidence in the Lord. We may shake our heads at the foolish Israelites, but are we any wiser in our response to Jesus’ call to go and make disciples of all nations? Do we hold back when the Lord says go? Do we run ahead of the Lord, relying on our own strength? Do we wander in the desert of life, missing out on the great blessing the Lord has in mind for us, because of fear or doubt?
The disciples had much more reason for fear and doubt- they were few in numbers, Jesus was leaving, and the power of Rome and the Jewish religious establishment was against them. They were mocked, harassed, imprisoned, persecuted, killed. Yet they went forward with boldness. Even under attack, they did not pray for protection, but for more boldness [Acts 4:23-31]. And the Spirit gave it to them.
Are we any less rebellious or cowardly than the people of Israel? Or do we foolishly try to fulfill the Lord’s mission on our own, without His help, relying on our own smarts and numbers and personality and programs, etc. Like Israel, we will miss out on what the Lord has in mind for us if we hold back. We will not experience the miraculous power of the Spirit at work in and through us.
These two passages place us at a crossroads. Will we hold back in fear, or move forward in faith? Will we be content to ‘survive’ in our own strength, or will we thrive in His strength?
PRAYER:
Lord, enable Your servant to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus.
Readinng once again what the Lord has done for the children of Israel, reminded me of to look how the Lord has been faithful in my life. As the Lord was present with His children then, He is also present with me today, if I just have the eyes to see Him and the ears to hear His voice. I too stand on His promises that He is my guardian and Guide. I too try to go it alone.
Today’s reading and the passage from Back to the Bible -Chronicles – reading the Bible in a year – both reminded me that I must travel with the Lord every day. I need Him every hour. I can go nowhere without Him. I must travel in His Light as the children of old to lead and guide me where I should go. As I start the activities of the day, I must acknowledge His presence in my life and yield to His Spirit to lead and guide me in all I do and say. Help me in my walk with You this day Lord.
O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!