4-minute Devotions - the Podcast

“After the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them —to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates —all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Joshua 1: 1 – 6).

At the risk of taking verse five out of context, this has to be one of the most encouraging statements in the Bible: “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua had seen firsthand the extraordinary relationship God had with Moses. “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Ex 33: 11). Through Moses, The Lord had performed incredible miracles and executed deadly but righteous judgements. Moses had friendship with the almighty, sovereign God. God gave him the power to bring water out of a rock and part the Red Sea. And now Joshua is being told that The Lord will be with him in the same way.

I don’t know about you, but if I were Joshua, I would really struggle to get my head around the enormity of all that.

And yet, if we read our Bibles, as followers of Jesus, we have stepped into a not dissimilar relationship with God. We are told in Ephesians 2 that we are “raised us up with Christ and seated… with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2: 6). We are forgiven and cleansed from sin, we are adopted into his family, and we are now spiritually “in Christ”, where he is at the right hand of the Father.

Our prayers are not only heard, but we have been given authority to speak in his name, make disciples of all nations, heal the sick and cast out evil spirits. And to top it all, Jesus told his disciples (and therefore also us) “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28: 20). In other words, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

The One was a friend to Moses and Father to the eternal Son, is with us and will never leave us or forsake us.

I don’t deserve it and nor do any of us! But we can live in the good of it and start using the authority he has given us to change our little corner of the world. 

During a long speech that Moses gave to the people of Israel, after their 40-year trek in the wilderness and just prior to entering the Promised Land, he said this:

“Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. And the LORD directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (Deut 4: 9 – 14).

Be careful. Watch yourselves closely. Don’t forget what you have seen and known. Keep them in your heart. Teach them to your kids and grandkids.

“Watch yourself” is an odd instruction and is probably more commonly used today as a warning against having an accident. “Watch yourself on that muddy slope”. “Watch yourself with that hot pan”. Today we hear it as a call to be careful.

Although Moses is speaking to the whole nation, he personalises it for every individual. He is calling every person to be careful. The fate of the nation depends on the choices of each person in it. So, watch yourself, he says, each and every one of you. Decide now what is important. Make intentional decisions today about what you will choose. Let those choices and behaviours directly relate to what you have seen the Lord do and what you have heard him say. Don’t forget any of his words and deeds.

In fact, people, you will likely have children one day, so make habits now to daily remember the Lord and fix them in your life. This will help you to pass them on effectively to the next generation. Your personal response to serve the Lord is vital. Remember: this is all bigger than any of us.

For his sake and his purposes, and for your influence upon those around you, watch yourselves closely.

Perhaps this is still a call to the church today. Watch yourself, each and every one of you. Decide now what is important. Make intentional decisions today about what you will choose. Let those choices and behaviours directly relate to what you have seen the Lord do and what you have heard him say. And don’t forget any of his words and deeds. For his sake and his purposes, and for your influence upon those around you, watch yourselves closely.

As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim 4: 15 – 16). 

“Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank” (Num 20: 6 – 11).

The Lord was not happy with the way this played out. His instructions to Moses were to take the staff, which he did, gather the assembly together, with Aaron’s help (tick!) and then speak to the rock, with everybody watching on.

No tick for the last instruction.

Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses spoke to the people. Actually, he vented his anger at the people and said, “must we bring water out of this rock?” Moses then struck the rock twice with his staff, which the Lord had not told him to do.

You may know the end of the story. In verse 12, we read, “But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” In one stupid moment, Moses lost his ticket into the Promised Land.

What did he do wrong?

Perhaps the first thing is that Moses didn’t follow the Lord’s specific instructions. He improvised out of frustration. It is amazing to me that the Lord still went along with it, providing the much-needed water. I guess his compassion for the people outweighed any thought He may have had to hold back the miracle.

Second, the emphasis on “we” in Moses’ question, “must we bring you water out of this rock?” does suggest that he thought of himself a little too highly in that moment. If Moses had followed his orders to the letter, the Lord would likely have honoured him before the people, as he often did. Instead, Moses stole the glory that belongs only to the Lord and paid the price.

Doing the will and work of God is not to be taken lightly. When the Lord entrusts us to serve him in any kind of leadership role, we stand on holy ground. The question is, will we honour him as holy by obeying his instructions and will we honour him as holy by giving the glory to Him?

The most humble man on earth failed to be humble by the waters of Meribah and it cost him dearly. Let’s not make the same mistake today. 

“You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed” (Deut 7: 17 – 23).

Poised with anticipation, the second-generation children of Israel are preparing to take the land – the land the Lord promised to them. The book of Deuteronomy is full of speeches given by Moses reminding them of the law, recalling their disastrous short history so far, and then calling them to renew their covenant with God.

In this speech in chapter 7, the Lord, through Moses, is carefully informing the Israelites that they will not conquer the current inhabitants in one single military campaign. They will take possession of the land “little by little”. “You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once”, says Moses.

This is an interesting detail, because some battle-ready tribes may be keen to get on with the job. The sooner we get in there, the quicker we can make it our home, plant crops, build permanent shelters etc.

But the Lord is calling them to be patient. It is not going to be a done deal in one day, or a week, or a year. This new season of conquest needs to take place gradually, and the reason is given: “or the wild animals will multiply around you”.

If the nations were eliminated all at once, the overall balance of the ecosystem would be affected. With a sudden depopulation everywhere, and time passing until all families could be transported to their new homes, there would be fewer people present to control the environment, particularly predators dangerous to human beings. A slower campaign of possession would provide a better chance of creating new communities that are livable and safe.

This is a great example of God’s timing revealing his superior knowledge and wisdom.

There are times when I want the Lord to answer a prayer straight away, or in a particular way. Why do I have to wait, when God can do a miracle in a moment? The thing is, although we know he sees the bigger picture, we don’t always trust that what he sees is as important as the issues at front and centre of our minds.

When I want God to act quickly, I have no view of the rest of the ecosystem. The other people affected, his will in multiple scenarios around me. It is not just my needs he has promised to take care of, but countless others. The pieces of the jigsaw need to come together in just the right way. His timing is perfect. 

In Genesis 18: 1 we read, “The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby…”

Later a conversation between them goes like this:

“Where is your wife, Sarah?” they asked him.

“There, in the tent,” he said.

Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh” (Gen 18: 9 – 15).

They say laughter is the best medicine, but Sarah’s response to the Lord in this story is not one of joy or amusement. This is a laugh of disbelief, almost sarcasm, “Oh sure, that at age one hundred, I would enjoy intimacy with my husband, and that things in my very old body might start working again, like they did many moons ago, so that I may bear a child! I’m old enough to be a great, great grandmother!”

What hasn’t hit her yet is that we are talking about Almighty God here. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

I wonder how easily you and I turn to disbelief, even sarcasm.

“Oh right! (some might say) So you expect me to just ‘let go’ and sail along in some bliss-filled imaginary, Christian bubble, forgetting the fact that the money is due tomorrow, and I have zero dollars in my account.”

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

“I have tried all those things you are talking about. They don’t work. Nothing works!”

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

“It’s funny, I used to have faith like you. I prayed all the time. I still believe of course, but in my own way. God helps those who help themselves” Is anything too hard for the Lord?

No, nothing is too hard for the Lord. He can bring new life to a hundred-year-old woman, he can cause that baby to grow and eventually become a father himself. The Lord can form the generations that follow into a bigger and bigger family until they become a nation. He can mould that nation into a people he calls his own and he can birth his own substance as God incarnate, Jesus Christ, His Son right in the heart of that nation and into the middle of history.  

And he can cause that Son to do something so unexpected, so profound, so universe changing as to provide salvation and new life through his willing death on the cross and then powerful resurrection from the dead. God can take a hundred-year-old lady and create children for himself so numerous as to be beyond counting.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them (Mark 10: 13 – 16).

We do tend to complicate things, don’t we? I saw a photo recently of some “do-it-yourself” plumbing where a guy had tried to connect a water pipe to his toilet cistern. What should have been a fairly straightforward job turned out like a long, plastic snake with twists and curves in every direction. The caption underneath read, “I only had bends in my truck”.

Like many, I tend to subscribe to the notion that the simplest solution to a situation is probably the best one. In a way, I think Jesus is saying the same thing here. Knowing the Father, receiving the Kingdom of God – well, even a child can do it!

After Jesus had uttered these words, an affluent young man approached him with a question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10: 17). The ensuing conversation saw Jesus quickly put his discerning finger on the pulse of the man’s real need: to let go of his dependence on possessions and self-righteousness. You don’t need religious pride or riches to enter the Kingdom of God, it’s much simpler than that.

After the man left, “disheartened”, Jesus’ disciples probably had a ton of questions, but Jesus took the initiative: “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” in v 23, and then “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!

It is interesting to note that this is the first time Jesus has called his disciples, “children”. Is he deliberately calling them children to make a point? I think he is, with a touch of irony. In other words, Don’t be like that rich guy, don’t think you can earn your way into God’s kingdom by works, religious deeds, wealth or human importance. It really is much simpler than that. Enter the Kingdom the same way a child enters any relationship: trust, a personal connection. Humility. Unspoken faith in one who offers a loving and safe relationship.

We enter the kingdom by coming to Jesus, knowing that He loves and forgives. We have empty pockets; in that we have no payment or merits to offer but we are drawn to His love. And in the warmth of acceptance and belonging, we are happy to live for Him and do His will. 

Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”

He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people. ”

But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us” (Numbers 10: 29 – 32)

Years ago, a friend of mine wrote a song for our church, based on this passage, called “Come with us and we will do you good”. I don’t recall the tune or the rest of the lyrics, but I do remember that we sung it most weeks. The basic idea of the song was that as followers of Jesus, we are wonderfully caught up in God’s plans for the world and motivated to share the good news of Christ’s death, resurrection and new life through faith in Him.

We, along with other believers around the world, were excited about our mission, we felt our lives had purpose and we wanted to invite all and anybody around us to join us in that journey.

Come with us. God is with us. There are good things to come, and we want to share them with you.

When Moses’ brother-in-law (that is, Hobab) started to feel the draw to return to his home country, Moses effectively said three things to try to persuade him to stay with him and the travelling Israelites enroute to the Promised Land. First, you will be treated well, “for the Lord has promised good things to Israel”. Moses is not offering an easy life, he knows that the immediate future promises nothing but tough, wilderness living. But he can guarantee the faithfulness of God both now and in the Promised Land ahead.

Second, he effectively says ‘we need you’. We need your eyes and experience to choose the best places to camp on the way. We are not asking you to join us to bolster numbers, we want you to play your unique part with the gifts and abilities the Lord has given you.

And thirdly, Moses promises, that Hobab will share in all the good things that God gives the Israelite community. ‘Come with us, it may not be easy, but God is with us. There is a glorious future ahead and your gifts and abilities will help us to get there. You will share in the joys and blessings the Lord gives to us. Come with us and we will do you good.

When we share our faith with those who don’t yet know Jesus, we are giving the same invitation. Come with us, repent of your sin and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. The days in front of you may not always be easy, but Jesus promises to never leave you. And we will love and support each other along the way. There is a glorious future ahead, and your gifts and abilities are vital to God’s great purposes. Come and share the joys of a new life in Jesus Christ. 

I am sure you have been taught, as I have, that whenever the Bible repeats something, it must be particularly important. Like Paul exhorting the Philippian church to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4: 4).

Or… in Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6, he is somehow permitted to see with his own eyes the magnificent splendour of the Lord on His throne. One seraph calls out to another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

Not just one “holy” but three. The Lord is Holy. Holy. Holy. In other words, let that truth be underlined and highlighted, meditated on, etched into our consciousness. Our God is a Holy God.

However, when we reach Psalm 136 and what looks like a history lesson for young Israelite students, we find a phrase being spoken, not twice, not even three times.

Twenty-six times, in fact.

His steadfast love endures forever.

Our psalmist takes us on a sweeping tour of the Pentateuch from Creation to the edge of the Promised Land and at every turn, he is compelled to remind us, “His steadfast love endures forever”.

From the outset we are called to give thanks. Why? For (or because) His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks “to him who by understanding made the heavens…

for his steadfast love endures forever” (Ps 136:5).

Gives thanks “to him who divided the Red Sea in two,

for his steadfast love endures forever” in verse 13.

“and gave their land as a heritage,

for his steadfast love endures forever in verse 21.

Twenty-six times.

If there was one truth the Lord wanted to impart, branded into the conscience of every Israelite soul, it was that His love is steadfast, unwavering and unchanging. And that this love is not fleeting but continues for all time.

It turns out this is a truth permeating every book of Scripture. Every poem and prophecy, every song and story, every letter and law, over and over and over: His steadfast love endures forever.

It will not fade away. It will not give up. It will not grow weary. The Lord’s steadfast love endures forever.

It radiates with the morning sun and stays close through the darkest night. It keeps the line open for our prayers and forgives us when we fall short of His best. It disciplines us for our good and welcomes us into the Lord’s presence - 24/7. The Lord’s steadfast love endures forever.

We can rely on it, plant our faith in it, stand on it in the battle and rest in it on our beds. The Lord’s steadfast love endures forever.

It is precious beyond price. “Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Ps 136: 26). 

A human face can tell us many things. A smile may be warm, encouraging, inviting or conniving. A person’s eyes may look at you, past you, though you or deep into your soul. A face may be menacing or soaked in love. Faces have the ability reveal what lies behind them.

However, God made it clear to Moses that he would not be permitted to see His face.

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Ex 33:18-20).

Whether God has an actual physical face is, perhaps, a topic for another conversation, but The Lord has made clear that we will not get to know Him in the same way we might a friend or a spouse: by seeing with eyes and subconsciously noting the others’ expressions. However, we will know Him through other ways He chooses to reveal himself.  

So, what is the face of God that we can see? Moses was invited into the presence of God (a few verses earlier), entering a tent marked by a pillar of cloud where, we are told that “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Ex 33: 11). Assuming the Bible does not contradict itself, what might that mean? Especially as we are exhorted to “seek God’s face”, for example, in Psalm 24.

One explanation may be found in Numbers 12: 8, where The Lord, speaking about Moses, said to Aaron and Miriam: “With him (that is, Moses) I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.”

And earlier in the book of Numbers we read, “When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the LORD spoke to him” (Numbers 7: 89)

Moses saw the form of The Lord, but got to know Him through what he heard,

Just as there are an infinite number of ways that a message can be sent through facial expressions, so The Lord has no limits as to how He might convey His words and His heart to us through His voice. And, of course, the idea of God’s voice can mean many things.

For some it might be an impression laid on their heart or a nudge on their conscience. It might be a verse of Scripture, silently bringing a new perspective to a personal situation. It might be a peace that came out of nowhere, or a sense that I must keep praying until he says it’s enough.

However the Lord chooses to speak or show himself, the song of Asaph is an ongoing call throughout the ages and down to today: “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always” (1 Chronicles 16:11). 

9How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

10With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

11I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119: 9 – 11)

When I was growing up in the UK in the 1970s, I would often hear people talking about keeping something “for a rainy day”. That is, saving money in case it is needed in the future. The rainy day could be any crisis when funds are short. The idiom is still used today

The psalmist in our reading has been asking how he might keep his way pure. How he might live his life with moral integrity. He wouldn’t just be thinking about sexual purity, as important as that is, but other areas of his life too. He would be mindful of his speech and his choice of words, as well as his thoughts and actions, hoping they are good and righteous in the sight of God.

In this short section of an 8-verse stanza, the psalmist let’s us know what he is putting into practice to try and live a life he can be proud of.  At first sight it might seem like a human attempt to be Godly. We all know that we cannot overcome sinful tendencies in our lives without the grace of God. It is because of what Christ has done on the cross, that we have hope of “being transformed into His likeness”.

But the psalmist, even though he knows nothing of Jesus (because this was written before Jesus came to Earth), does know that He needs God’s Word. The Lord and His spoken and written word are his hope. So, he will guard his way (that is, think carefully about his decisions) by measuring it against what God has said.

He has committed himself to seeking God. He will not stray from the ideal that The Lord’s commandments must be his number one source of inspiration.

And he has stored up the Word of God in his heart.

What might this mean?

Obviously, memorisation can help. If we read something often enough, we can start to remember it “off by heart”. Learning portions of scripture was a normal part of my diet in the Sunday school of the little village church I grew up in. Perhaps this is a lost practice in today’s world, but well worth recovering if we are to raise a generation strong in the Word of God.

But perhaps the need is more basic than that. Do we even read the Bible regularly? There is something about absorbing Scripture through the eyes, perhaps even speaking it out, and then letting it marinate in my mind and heart, imagining the story, applying it to my world, letting it move me, challenge me, that can only happen as the Holy Spirit engages with our spirits, breathing life, inspiring hope.

I remember Bible verses that speak to my soul, and I can’t forget stories that shock me or hold me accountable.

And all this quietly stores up in the recesses of my mind and heart, for the day when God will bring it to the surface and use it.