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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3zh1LhO
1 "And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. 6 Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? 9 "Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children-- (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Revised Standard Version of the Bible)
A happy and blessed Wednesday to you ConCafe Family! And may this day see you, Friend, spring into action doing the will of God! May we continue to exercise our spiritual disciplines especially prayer as we pray for one another, for our needs, the needs of the world, our neighbors, our enemies, and our dear ones!
Some of you kids may not be old enough to remember long distance calls. Minutes on a call outside of your city limits were precious and pricey. I remember working with "the phone company" back when Ma Bell ran all the phone lines and in one of my marketing classes we studied long distance. It was an interesting setup back then, who could call where and for free, and other parts for mucho dinero. And the joke from the instructor was that our system was changing, especially as upstart competitors to A.T.T. were moving in, he said that in Clear Lake, there was a two-story building where if the downstairs wanted to call the upstairs, it was a long-distance telephone call! And the old story about God coming down and (depending on your denomination or faith) the joke was that if you wanted to call God, the Mormons would joke that in Salt Lake City it was a local call. The Baptists said the same thing about Waco, and so on. Well, this passage says all calls to God are local calls! Meaning they're free! Re-read verse 7: "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon Him?" Indeed! God is as close as our heart, if we are walking with Him daily, and keeping the commandments and teachings, so we can call out to Him and He will answer!
This passage was part of Moses' instrtuction to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter Canaan. Remember the forty years in the wilderness were the time of formation for the people to become a new people. As they made their way out of Egypt and through their journey, they picked up people that were not Hebrews like them; and they were welcomed and they journeyed and learned along with God's people to become a true nation rooted and formed in God and God's teachings. This was a people in process. Think of the old bumper sticker: "Please be patient with me, God's not finished with me yet!" And as happens in some churches, confirmation is a process that prepares a youth to become a full member of the church, but honestly, it continues as a lifelong process of growing and maturing in the Lord, always seeking to be better today than yesterday. As I stress, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement stressed that we can be made perfect in love in this lifetime, if we seek to be better each day than then previous one. When Nellie and I married, I was rough around the edges, to put it nicely; there was lots about me that I needed to improve or to rid myself off, so that I could be a better husband. After several years of living alone it was now a new experience to have a spouse. It was wonderful and I still love her presence (more so even more each day!) but the parts of me that needed to improve got in the way! Can you imagine that? I thank God that while I'm still far from perfect, I try more to listen, thinik, pray, reflect, and respond in love to all in which she and I are partners in. The rash, reactive immature guy is no longer around as much as he was back then. That guy was trying to control all things is no longer the prima donna that he once was. And now apply that the throng of new arrivals to Canaan from Egypt. The words of God apply to us, but more so to any emerging relationships or faith development. "Give heed" is strong; pay attention, learn from and listen to "the statutes and the ordinances which (God) has taught us, and live them; so that we may truly live (Think of life in abundance or to the fullest).
The challenge is for the people of God to truly love and embrace God in all ways. Our souls should have Him in them, our minds should have His words on them, and hands and feet should be leading us in His direction, and our spirits should be praising and glorifying Him. And all these together become part of our witness to those, especially our children, about how to best live life. And a wonderful driving force is knowing that God is closer than any phone! And it is a local call!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, draw us near to You, for we know You are near to us. We pray that we might truly heed Your word and Your example so that we can be examples to others. May we be a blessing to all people, and this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Call on the Lord today in ways that bless those around you!
Receive my blessings of peace and love,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
