God designed a way to keep leaders humble… “he must read it [the Torah] as long as he lives, … then he will not exalt himself above his fellow citizens.” A Hebrew king’s first royal duty was to transcribe the entire law of Moses on a his own scroll. Every good leader knows how to delegate but this was one job the king had to do for himself and by himself.

“When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is make himself a copy of this Revelation on a scroll,” (Deuteronomy 17.18).

My private lust is a wild beast within me. Only the power of Christ can kill my animal instincts. I call it the “sticky beast.” If I dare to touch that which is not mine, I give the beast its power. He oozes through the pores of my hands and sticks to the object of my sinful desires. It’s hard to shake it off. Like the slime of a slug, the sticky beast does not easily wash away from my graspy fingers. If I refuse to touch what I cannot have, the sticky beast cannot harm me or anyone else I touch.

“Nothing… under the ban shall cling to your hand,” (Deuterononmy 13.17). 

Have you ever faced a brick wall or a seemingly insurmountable challenge? Did you wonder, like the Israelites, “How I ever conquer [this thing] which is so much more powerful than I am?” If so, then take heart... 

“Don’t be afraid! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt,” (Deuteronomy 7.17-18).

This podcast is an overview of week 11 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Deuteronomy 6 – 26; Luke 7 – 11. 

For participation in the community of believers… ASSEMBLY IS REQUIRED. The Lord commanded Moses:- “Assemble the people” to hear the word of God, learn reverence for God, and teach their children His words. Do you “remember the day you stood before the Lord” to receive Christ? In that day He issued you a command…

“Assemble the people to Me,” (Deuteronomy 4.10). 

A crippled guy needed his stretcher until he didn’t need it any more. But he did not leave his stretcher behind. Rather, the paralytic “picked up what he had been lying on.” 

Why would a former cripple pick up the stretcher he no longer needed? Perhaps he did need it... to carry other cripples. 

There is a time to be carried and a time to carry.

It’s easy to bow to idealism’s pressure and make glorious and unrealistic projections. With a spirit of defiance we begin at a pace we cannot possibly sustain and virtually assure our future collapse. When the inevitable occurs we act surprised, but we shouldn’t be surprised at all. If we had started small we could have built toward a bigger and better finish.

Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh would not claim their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan until “every one of the children of Israel… received his inheritance” on the west side of the river.

They could not go home until the work was done. Neither can you. Your work on earth is not finished. You have an eternity to rest in the loving arms of Jesus. Until then, stay busy in the work of advancing the kingdom of God on earth. Your sisters and brothers need you.

Every good leader must first be a good example. Today I will try to be more concerned about exampleship than leadership.

This podcast is an overview of week 10 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 27 – 36; Deuteronomy 1 – 5; Luke 2 - 6.