Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 6-8, Psalm 77

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves WHOLEHEARTEDLY to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Moses continued his farewell speech to the Israelites by encouraging them to remember how the Lord had rescued them. He told them to fear the Lord and serve Him only, for God is a jealous God and He desires for us to DILIGENTLY obey His commands. He calls us to do what is right and good in His sight so that all will go well with us (Deut. 6:18).

Each January, our administrative team meets to look back over the past year. Together we remember ALL that God has done and all that HE has accomplished. We celebrate God’s generosity and His grace over the ministry to which He has called us. We then look forward to what is ahead, asking God for His guidance and His blessing. We long to see His vision for the ministry — His plan in His time.

My husband and I are going through a new stage of life. In the last year, we have moved to a new town and started a new chapter of ministry. Our daughters are adults now and pursuing all God has for them, and we continue to look ahead for what God is calling us to do in this next season. As we reflect on the last 30 years of our story together, we see decisions we can feel really good about and also moments we would choose to do over if we could. Thankfully there are more memories to celebrate than there are decisions to regret.

Perhaps you have gone through this same process at the beginning of a new year or at the start of a new stage of your life. Perhaps you felt like the Israelites as they saw the mistakes they had made and the consequences of their decisions. There were probably moments to celebrate and memories to regret. Looking forward to what is ahead might have felt like getting a blank slate or a chance to start a new chapter of your life.

God gives us moments like these to purposefully stand between what He has done for us and what He promises to do in the coming years — looking back and looking forward while praising God for every moment.

Moses was having a similar moment with God’s people as they stood between the wilderness and the promised land — looking back and looking forward. He told them their children would ask questions: Why do we do what we do? Why do we follow these traditions and rules? LET THEM HEAR THE STORIES. Make them aware of where God has brought us from and that we will be counted as righteous when we obey all God’s commands (Deut. 6:20-25).

“…Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure… Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.” – Deut. 7:6-10

You have seen it with your own eyes! God has led you — sometimes humbling you, sometimes testing you, but all the time teaching you.

He has provided in order to teach you that people do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes have not worn out; your journey has been long, but your feet are neither blistered nor swollen. Now praise the Lord for this good land He has given you. In the midst of your plenty, do not become proud and forget the source of all blessings. Don’t think you have achieved anything by your own strength and energy, but remember that it is the Lord who gives you the power to be successful (Deut. 8).

Father God, when we begin to feel rejected, when we feel we have lost your favor, we will remember the years you have stretched out your right hand over us. We will remember your wonderful deeds; we will recount the miracles we have witnessed in our lifetime. When we feel your unfailing love has vanished or your promise has failed, we will consider all your work and meditate on all your mighty deeds. When others say you have forgotten to be merciful or that you have withheld your compassion, we will say…

Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles…
The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.
The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.
Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. — Psalm 77:13-20