Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20 + Luke 11:37-12:7 + Psalm 78:1-31 + Proverbs 12:19-20
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Old Testament - Deuteronomy chapter 29 verse 29 is intriguing today - "There are secret things that belong to the LORD our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we may obey these words of the law." I think this is good for us to remember - there are secrets of God that we will not know this side of heaven. And I don't think we need to worry or speculate on what these secret things might be, because "the revealed things belong to us." God has revealed himself to us in the Bible! His very Word. He has revealed himself in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And he reveals himself in the life of the body of Christ today - the church. We have everything we need to know to love & follow God. And I think God's secrets can remain secret to us this side of heaven - I don't know about you, but I like a little mystery in God! :)
New Testament - Wow... Jesus goes after the Pharisees in Luke chapter 11 today... Verses 39 through 41 are powerful: "Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are still filthy--full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So give to the needy what you greedily possess, and you will be clean all over." I think these verses are important for us to meditate upon as well today. Are we clean inside? Or are we putting on a show and just cleaning up our external appearances for others? As we saw in Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew - God is very interested in the condition of our hearts. Our insides. Are our insides clean? Bob Deffinbaugh with Bible.org's great commentary on our Luke chapter 11 readings today titled "Fundamentalists in Formaldehyde" is at this link.
Jesus' teachings in Luke chapter 12 verses 2 through 3 are also important for us to reflect upon in our lives today - "The time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!" I once heard a pastor say during a sermon - "nobody sins in a vacuum. Meaning, nobody's sin does not affect others. When we sin - even when we are "alone" - it affects our community in ways we do not fully realize." I think this is so true. When we sin - even what we have done or said in the "dark" - we hurt not only ourselves, but others. And God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, who is pure Light, have heard and know what we do in the dark. We cannot hide it from them. Better to confess it to God, repent, and be cleansed by the Light. Then, go, and sin no more. Plus - it's a darn scary thought to think that what we do in the dark might be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! :) Live your life such that no matter what you do or what you say, you wouldn't be embarrassed to read about it in tomorrow's papers...
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 12 readings today titled "The Hazard of Hypocrisy for Heralds of the Gospel" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 78 verse 4 is a wonderful reminder that we have an important opportunity to disciple and teach others in the generation coming up behind us - "We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did." Are you discipling or teaching someone about God's truth, deeds, and love? How are you helping the next generation learn about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 12 verse 19 is a great testament to the strength of the Bible - now some 3,400 years old since the writings of Moses! "Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed." Do you believe the Bible is Truth?
Worship Video: Today's readings reminds me of Micah Tyler's song (with a fun/silly video here :) "Praise the Lord!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXGozXslIg
Is the devil trying to get you? Click here and Praise the Lord!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: ""I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." Luke 12:4-5 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will not be afraid of mere mortal men. Pray that you will only fear the Lord. Pray that you will learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom and righteousness.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
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“Revelation is not revelation until it is revelation to you.” A.R. Bernard
Deut 29:29, "There are secret things that belong to the LORD our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we may obey these words of the law” is the last piece of bread that sandwiches everything spoken about after verses two through four, “2 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, "You have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and his whole country—3 all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders. 4 But to this day the LORD has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear!
Scripture is progressive in the laying out of this text, this book we know as the Bible, as well as progressive in our personal understanding of this book. What was “revealed” to me in the heart of my understanding when I first began reading through this book in 1984/85 has increased in volume and intensity as I read through today (Note: I do a second bible-reading program as well as book studies). In my experience my own personal understanding, the understanding that happens as a passage that I have read one-hundred times before explodes in my spirit and becomes alive to me, takes on new meaning and becomes easier to follow then when I just understood it in my head.
Ignorance of the Law is not excuse for not following the law, but when we know that Law, really really, know that Law, we are without excuse. I believe that 29th verse has a duality, there is a component as a community and there is a personal responsibility when one gains understanding of a Law, Precept, or Command that God has given us and it becomes part of our very being. Before that understanding explodes in our spirit, we follow the Law by faith, but when it becomes alive to us we begin following because we know. We may not even be able to explain why we know to others at first but following that law moves from being a burden to becoming a joy.
Revelation brings understanding and that is why I belive the writer of Proverbs admonishes over and over again the importance of the reader’s pursuit of Widsom and Understanding.
Proverbs 4:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;do not forget my words or swerve from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Deut. 30: 1 "Suppose all these things happen to you--the blessings and the curses I have listed--and you meditate on them as you are living among the nations to which the LORD your God has exiled you. 2 If at that time you return to the LORD your God, and you and your children begin wholeheartedly to obey all the commands I have given you today, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes.
This is a great Word for backsliders. Moses has just rehearsed within the people’s hearing the blessings for those who are obedient to God’s Law as well as the curses on those who are not (chapter 28). He tried to make the consequences “real” to them by referring back to their time of delivererence from Egypt and how God kept and protected them in the wilderness. Then in the last half of the thirtieth chapter God lays Israel’s destiny, lays our destiny squarely on us it is our choice how we live. One of the many Proverbs dealing with those choices states,
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. (Proverbs 18)
We are the sum total of all the choices we have made in our life. Where we are today is the result of our choices. If we don’t like the life we are living now we have to make new choices. God gives us the choices, death or life, and then even tells us which one to choose to live.
19"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! 20 Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Luke 11:37-12:7
I have to admit it I just love reading verses 37 through 54 and wish I was a little fly on the wall when Jesus was telling it like it t’is to his host and the other guests. His Words were harsh yet He spoke them in Love. He loved them so much He was willing to tell them the truth about themselves despite what they thought or how bad their feelings were hurt. All truth is confrontational. Even when one of the invited guests came to Him and told Him that He had just insulted them, He didn’t apologize or use flowery words, He continued speaking the Truth is love. Love is the desire to benefit others at the expense of self. For God so loved the world that He gave …(John 3:16)
Yesterday’s Proverb (Proverbs 12:18) is brought back to my remembrance when I read Jesus’ rebuke of these religious leaders. Remembering that they thought they were righteous but they were in sin. Today too, we can be just as stubborn and just as blind as the religious leaders who shared a meal with Jesus.
Lord, open my eyes to see the self-righteousness within me that keeps me chained to my sin.
Psalm 78:1-31
1 O my people, listen to my teaching.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
2 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
Amazing how this Psalm fits right into today’s reading in Deuteronomy. God is alive and well and sitting on the throne. All things word together for good no matter where in the scriptures we turn to. Awesome, just awesome!
Proverbs 12:19-20
19 Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.
This statement I need to get down into the deepest part of my being. I can get so upset when I’m lied to or when a lie that is damaging to others is accepting and others “run” with it as truth. The lie will come to the light. This verse also goes hand-in-hand with Jesus’ Words in Luke 12,
2 The time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!
The best commentary on scripture is scripture.
Grace and Peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | April 05, 2025 at 08:51 PM