Psalm 108:1 “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.”

UNMOVABLE

I just love this picture of our hearts in this verse.  We who are believers “fix” or “nail down” our hearts with God.  Nothing in this world can move them.  We are attached to God, Whom we know is unmovable.  The gates of hell may come against us, but we shall not be moved.

Have you ever been in a hurricane?  I lived in Florida for 8 years and went through several. The winds can be incredible.  I will never forget during one storm in which the roof of our house creaked and moaned.  It was a category 3 storm and had winds over 111 mph.  The roof held because it was attached properly with hurricane straps.  Even though it felt the brunt of the storm, it held.

TEACHING MOMENT

Teaching our children about being “fixed” on Jesus is an important part of our discipling them. They need to know that when their heart is attached to Him, nothing can move them.  They can decide to move, but that is their choice.  But they cannot blame the world or anything in it.  If they rely on God to keep them fast, there is no power in heaven or on earth that can move them.

Our children will learn that best by watching us face life’s storms.  We should be like the Psalmist in this verse. We should choose to sing praises, even with our souls.  Singing in the midst of storms allows us to practice that peace that comes from within.

Are you praising Him today?  Are you allowing your children to see you remaining steadfast in your heart to God?  If we look toward Him He will hold us close.  He longs to hold us.  He wants to feel us close.  He WANTS us to depend on Him.  There is nothing weak about relying on Him.

The world will tell us we are using Him as a crutch.  That’s okay.  I admit that I am a cripple.  I admit that I am feeble.  I admit that I am helpless.  But with Him as my crutch, I have access to the power of the universe, to the All Powerful One, to the Creator of all things.

Who needs an energy drink or a power booster when you have Jesus!  Stay fixed on Him!

Deuteronomy 34:5-6 “5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day.”

PRIVATE BURIAL

Isn’t it amazing that the only person whom God buried was buried in a private, “for family only” service?  Why was that?  I think there were a couple of reasons.  First, if the people had known Moses’ gravesite it would have become a shrine.  God did not want that.  Secondly, God needed to be alone with Moses when He died.  He did not want a crowd of millions wailing and crying over Moses’ death.

God had a personal, intimate relationship with Moses.  Perhaps, other than Adam and Eve in the Garden, Moses was the closest to Jehovah.  God loved him and chose him for a very specific purpose.  Now that was done, God wanted Moses to come home, his real home – Glory.

TEACHING MOMENT

Death is reality.  We parents do not need to shield our children from this.  They need to know that when someone dies, we will NOT see them again this side of eternity.  Depending on their salvation status (saved or lost) we may or may not see them there.  Telling our children anything else is deceptive and not helpful.  You need to decide at what age it is appropriate for them to know this, but don’t hide this truth from them.

I have heard parents tell their children that grandma or grandpa had to “go away” and one day they would see them again in heaven.  Two things are wrong with this.  They didn’t “go away.”  They died.  And secondly, they will only see them again if they both end up in the same place, heaven or hell.

This may be the heaviest devotion I have written.  Speaking of where someone will spend eternity is sobering, but it is so important.  Are you sure where you are going one day?  Do you know for sure that you will spend eternity with our loving Savior?

How about your children?  Have they asked the Lord Jesus in their hearts to secure their name in the Lamb’s Book of Life?  There is no other decision on earth that is more important.

When others come to your graveside one day (should the Lord tarry His return), what will they say?  Will they know where your spirit is residing at that moment.  Let them know while you are still alive that you will be HOME!

Deuteronomy 32:48-52 “48 The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 49 ‘Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. 50 Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51  because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. 52For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.’”

EVEN LEADERS

No one is exempt from the consequences of disobedience.  I had to include all these verses today so you could be reminded of why Moses could not enter the Promised Land.  Of all people, didn’t he deserve to go?  He was the one who led the people.  He was the one who confronted Pharaoh.  Why wouldn’t the Lord allow Him to enter the land promised to His people?

Today we think we can “get by” with the things we do.  We should be reminded that we all have consequences for actions that go against God’s commands. And we, as leaders and parents, have even a more strict consequence.  We are leading others.  We cannot be allowed to lead them to destruction.

TEACHING MOMENT

This teaching moment is much more directed at you, Mom and Dad.  What are you doing, in word or deed, that could mislead your children?  What are you showing them that is not pleasing to the Lord?  Do you think the Lord would be happy with everything you model for your children?

I am NOT trying to be legalistic.  I am far from that.  But I do mean we need to be very careful how we lead.  There are always little eyes watching us.  We cannot afford to be lax for one second.  One small act kept Moses from entering the Promised Land.  Wow!

Will you allow the Lord today to direct your every step?  He will show you where to place your feet along the path.  It may not seem like the best route to you, but trust Him.  He knows the way much better than you.

Deuteronomy 29:5 “I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot.”

How many of you have worn hand-me-downs?  You know, the clothes your older siblings wore?  When I was growing up I would get some of my older brother’s clothes.  I couldn’t wear his pants because my legs were so big I wore husky-plus pants. Don’t laugh!  But I did wear a lot of his shirts and shoes.

The children of Israel had 40 years of hand-me-downs.  It says their clothes did not wear out, nor did their sandals.  Now, how would you feel wearing your grandparents’ hand-me-downs?  Lol.  The point of this is the Lord took care of them down to the very stitch of clothing and the soles of their feet.

TEACHING MOMENT

The next time you pass down some clothing from one child to another (now, don’t make your son wear his older sister’s clothes, lol), remind them of this story.  Passing down clothing is a good way to fully utilize a resource God has blessed us with.  If you don’t have other children, pass them down to another family or a thrift shop that can sell them.

Your child probably will not want to wear those hand-me-downs.  And don’t make them wear something inappropriate for them.  But they need to know that we are to be thankful for everything we receive from the Lord, even hand-me-downs.

How about you?  What has the Lord “passed down” to you?  Are you avoiding “wearing” it?  Perhaps, your church has appointed you, due to your giftedness, to handle a responsibility there.  Are you rejecting that?  If you know that “fits”, you must pick it up and serve.

We tend to reject hand-me-downs.  We prefer the newest fashions.  God, however, has been passing down hand-me-downs for generations.  We should gladly receive any and all hand-me-downs He gives us.  That seemingly worn out “gift” may be just what we need to fulfill our walk with Him.

You see, just as we parents know what will fit our children, the Father knows exactly what will fit us.  Trust Him to “fit” you.  He knows our size.

I Corinthians 14:12 “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.”

IMPORTANT THINGS

This chapter in I Corinthians is a much debated topic – speaking in tongues.  I am NOT going to get into that debate here.  Instead I want to look at the verse above.  You see, Paul says very plainly that the purpose of any gift which the Lord has given us is to build up the church, not ourselves.

I have experienced churches where speaking in tongues is emphasized.  But I have never seen this verse emphasized in those same churches.  Things that divide or things that seem to put some above others do not build up.  That’s the bottom line.  We must be about edifying and encouraging our brothers and sisters.  We should not do anything that is going to belittle or shame them.

TEACHING MOMENT

So, how do you teach this to our kids?  Okay, I sound like a broken record – you have to model it.  Our children need to see us building others up.  They are watching us, right?  They should know that we are all about helping others grow.

Now that also refers to how we talk about others in their presence.  Have you ever talked negatively about a fellow believer in front of your kids?  They are listening to that. They are storing that away and will use it to model how they talk about people.

May I encourage you today to focus on what you can do to encourage a brother or sister in Christ?  Will you come alongside your Pastor to build up the church?  Allow the Spirit of God to direct you in the words you use as you talk about others.

I know the Father has given all the gifts for our good.  And with each gift, He expects us to use it to glorify Him.  If you can figure out a way to use your gift, no matter what it is, to build yourself up and glorify Him, go for it.  I don’t see how that’s possible, though.

Allow the Lord to show you how to use your gift for His glory.

Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “1 Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.”

FIRST FRUITS

Everything we have belongs to God.  He is the One who blesses us each day with food, drink, clothing, housing, etc.  He is the Great Benefactor.  But He is not just that.  He also expects us to honor Him by giving back in worship.

The people were commanded to give the Lord the first fruits of the land after they entered it.  They would remember Him by giving to Him. Did God need these offerings?  Of course not.  He is THE ALL.  He can make something out of nothing.  He doesn’t NEED our offerings.  But He smiles when we give back to Him in recognition of all He has given us.

TEACHING MOMENT

One of my regrets is that I don’t think I taught my children to give to the Lord.  I mean, we talked about it and I encouraged them to give, but I didn’t really sit down and explain the giving process to them fully.  They are both adults now, and they have to decide that on their own.

Talk to your children about giving.  Set up a jar in which they can deposit their offering money for the Lord.  They can tithe of their allowance or from any chores they do for pay.  They can tithe of any gifts they receive from friends or family.  But don’t just show them how to give.  Tell them why we give.  That will stay with them forever.

What are your first fruits?  Where are they?  Does God just get your crumbs?  He wants to bless you more than you know.  Giving to Him expresses to Him that we KNOW from whom our blessings come.

Let God remind you of the joy of giving.

I Corinthians 12:11 “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

ALL ARE VALUED

There is much discussion about the gifts of the Spirit in churches.  Some churches value some gifts over other gifts.  Some people claim to have a gift which brings them recognition.  Others exercise their gift quietly and behind the scenes.  The bottom line is that the gifts are a critical and essential part of the church.  The church can not function unless the gifts are being used by the Lord’s followers.

Take the gift of service for instance.  Without volunteers to clean the church, who would want to come to church and wade through trash and use a dirty bathroom.  How about the gift of teaching?  What would worship look like if we did not have the Word taught to us?  Well, that’s probably a bad example since in many churches that just doesn’t happen.  Lol

TEACHING MOMENT

Your child will discover their gift(s) once they have surrendered their heart to the Lord and not before.  Now don’t get confused – talents aren’t gifts.  Those are two mutually exclusive things.  Having the gift of gab doesn’t mean you have the gift of preaching or teaching.  Being organized does not mean you have the gift of administration.

God can use your talents in the exercise of your gift(s), but not necessarily the other way around.  When your child comes to Christ begin watching for the gift the Spirit wants to emphasize through them.  It might just surprise you.

Are you using your gift(s) to honor the Lord?  Maybe you think you have used your gift long enough.  It is time for someone else to use theirs.  Nope!  God has given us our gift(s) to use until He calls us home.  What better way to go than to know you were using your gift(s) up until the moment you see Jesus.

If you are unsure of your gift(s), there are plenty of resources you can use that we lead you to that awareness.  Of course, the best way to discover your gift(s) is to ask the Lord.  Pray!  Ask the Lord, “Lord, I want to be used by you.  How would you use me?”  The way He directs you might just surprise you, too.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.”

CURSED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS

Right here in Deuteronomy we find a fulfillment of Christ. He became accursed for us.  He hung on a tree (the cross) to bear the sins of the entire world.  Isn’t it interesting also, that Jesus was taken off the cross and buried the same day, just as the verse says above?

Jesus came for one purpose – to pay the ransom for man.  He knew the price before He ever left Glory.  He knew the penalty for sin because He is the one who wrote the Law.  He knew when He hung on that cross His Father in Heaven would see Him as accursed.  But He came anyway.  Why?  Because He loves us and wanted us to have access to the kingdom of God.

TEACHING MOMENT

This is a truth that our children must learn.  We, as parents, need to show them the power of paying a debt for someone else.  I am sure you will have the opportunity to do that at some point, if you haven’t already.  Perhaps little Elrod has broken something of someone else and needs to replace it.  He doesn’t have the money, so you step in and pay the debt for him.  There you go – a simple picture of what Christ did for us.

While that example doesn’t capture the magnitude of what Christ did, most children can understand the “forgiveness” of a debt which they do not have the ability to pay.  We also need to show them the joy in which it must be done.  Jesus did not die on the cross begrudgingly.  He came willingly.  He wanted to die for us.

How about you?  For whom have you sacrificed?  I mean, really sacrificed?  Are you willing to let go of something you hold dear for the sake of someone else?  Are you willing to lay it down?

God loves a sacrificial heart.  He loves seeing us dying to ourselves and giving of ourselves to others.  Why don’t you try that today?  Please the Father.

Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.” 

LOOK WHO’S COUNTING

Moses is giving the people instructions for when they would enter the Promised Land and begin to possess the land.  He knew they would encounter armies much bigger than their own.  But Moses also knew that God counted differently than man.  After all the Trinity is proof – 1+1+1=1.

God wasn’t concerned about the size of any pagan army.  He could just speak and wipe them off the face of the earth.  He did create the world by just speaking, after all.  So, Moses is trying to ease any apprehensions that might have existed.  Trust God.  He’s got this.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your children are going to (if they haven’t already) face things that seem insurmountable.  They will make every excuse in the world why they can’t win or pass or survive.  Read them this verse.  Remind them that the Hebrew children faced a task that seemed impossible.  But God….

Little Johnny or Susie may doubt the power of God in their lives.  If they are believers, they possess the power of the Holy Spirit who can and will guard them and protect them.  He will guide them into making the right decisions – if they will just trust Him.

Are you trusting Him?  Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to dictate your marching orders?  He will not only give you the direction, but He will also personally escort you there.  That’s pretty cool.

So why aren’t we living in the power?  Why do we choose to limit what God can do?  He wants to work wonders in your life.  He doesn’t care about the number or size of your problems.  He’s got this!  Let Him have it!

I Corinthians 9:22b “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I may save some.”

NONOFFENSIVE

I love these verses in I Corinthians 9:19-23.  Paul had all the reasons to boast of his pedigree.  He could have proudly stated his qualifications as a Pharisee and his learning under Gamaliel.  He could have lorded over any new believer and demanded special treatment.  But a funny thing happened on that road to Damascus.  The Lord Jesus stripped him of all that pride.

Now, he just wanted to reach people with the Gospel, no matter what he had to do.  He would eat with the Jews or the Gentiles.  He would sacrifice doing things he knew was “legal” if he thought it might cause a brother to stumble.  We could learn a lot from this passage, if we would.  I have known Christians who were so proud they could strut sitting down.

TEACHING MOMENT

We can’t teach our children this.  It must be learned firsthand.  We can model it, though.  They can watch us give up things for others.  They can see us get down and dirty to pull someone else up.  They can stand next to us as we explain the total inclusiveness of the Gospel to a lost and dying world.

Are there restrictions on how far we can go?  Sure, there are.  There are some groups I can’t or shouldn’t try to reach.  But if the Lord directs me to share with someone, my job is figure out how best to do that.  That may mean getting to know them first and developing that relationship.  You have heard the expression, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

So, are you modeling the behavior for your children that they can emulate?  Are you coaching them in the skills they will need to reach that lost friend?  When is the last time you actually shared the Gospel with someone?  Weeks, months, years?

Come on, fellow believer.  Figure it out!  Allow the Holy Spirit to simply cut loose and speak through you. He will give you the words, just as He gives you the power.  Surrender!