“Take to heart
all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your
children
to put them into practice, every single word of this
Revelation.
Yes. This is no small matter for you; it’s your life.
In
keeping this word you’ll have a good and long life in this land that
you’re crossing the Jordan to possess.”
-Moses, Deuteronomy 32:44-47 (the Message)
I'm sitting in the pew again. Bible spread across my lap. Listening intently to the story of the children of Israel wandering in the desert.
& then I hear it. A sense of urgency in his voice. Alarmed, my head snaps up. I see it then in his eyes. They are sad & pleading. This burden he bears... this burden of love for us is pouring out. He longs for us to understand. He doesn't want to see us wandering in the desert like the children of Israel... longing for slavery in the life that was before. He is imploring us to shake the dust of our pasts from our feet & take a step forward into the life of promise God has prepared for us. He wants us to experience freedom with expectation & hope.
I bow my head again. This time in prayer. I pray for this passionate man & his loving, compassionate heart. I pray for those listening to his words. I pray that their ears hear & their hearts respond. I pray for my own rebellious heart.
I don't want to go back to Egypt... I want the promised land.
"In the wilderness, God's covenant people struggled with a choice
between feeding their bellies and nourishing their souls.
God provided
manna--a breadlike food that fell to the ground during the night--to
sustain the wandering Israelites and to teach them how to value His Word
more than physical fulfillment."
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