March 28, 2011

Deuteronomy 1: Grace. Forgiveness. Hope.

I have been reading through Deuteronomy and certain verses have jumped off the pages of Scripture. So, I want to start a new segment on my blog devoted to jotting down some thoughts related to these verses.

First of all, some context… Deuteronomy was written by Moses, one of the most humble leaders in the Bible. He dealt with thousands of people who often grumbled, questioned, criticized, rebelled, challenged, and hated him. A study of his life and leadership would be so worthwhile…but that is another blog for another time. Back to Deuteronomy. The book is basically a review of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, adventures in the wilderness, and laws from God. It records a dialogue Moses has with the people right before his death. It is almost as if these are his last words to his beloved people, right before he dies and right before they enter the Promised Land.

Quick history lesson: The Israelites left Egypt and started traveling to the Promised Land (the Land God “promised” to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). After sending spies into the land to scope it out, the Israelites lost sight of their big God and feared the big obstacles occupying the land: fortified cities and giants. They forgot God’s promises and power. They doubted, questioned, and suffered the consequences: forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

After these forty years…
“The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey…See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that LORD swore to your fathers…’”

You have stayed long enough…

I love that statement. The Israelites disobeyed and faced the consequences. Now, it was time to move on.

I have been thinking about the places in my life where I have lingered for long enough. Old habits, conflicts, emotions, thoughts…all of those areas where I have set up camp and really kept myself from moving on and making progress.

I was saved at four. Let’s be honest…the worst sin I committed at that age was lying about the kind of underwear I had on (my mom liked me to wear “ruffle” underwear on Sundays…I, as a three year old, hated them…so I would lie). Anyways, I grew up really taking advantage of my Salvation. God saved me from hell…that was just about it in my opinion. I envied those people who were saved from “horrible pasts”...I felt like they really understood grace and I didn’t, because I couldn’t.

Then I grew up and I skrewed up…big time. Those “unpardonable sins” that I was taught as a kid plagued my conscience. Am I truly forgiven? Maybe…but even so, does God still love me? I suffered the obvious consequences…but would I ever be the same again? I got trapped in my own guilt.

The bottom line was…God forgave me, but I hadn’t forgiven myself. This is where the Gospel came alive for me. This is the Good News of Jesus: When God looks at me, He doesn’t see my past with my failures, but He sees Jesus’ perfect past. God doesn’t see my present discouragement; He sees Jesus’ blood and power. He doesn’t condemn me to a future of regret, but promises victory. Yeah, there are consequences for bad decisions because God disciplines those He loves. However, the time comes when I have to claim by the faith the fact that God has forgiven me, cleansed me, and chosen me. I “have stayed at this mountain long enough…” and it’s time to move on to what God has ahead.

Grace. Forgiveness. Hope.

Hallelujah!

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