Today’s Verse: And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, ~Deuteronomy 33:13 The word precious is used 72 times in the Bible. It speaks of things that are of inestimable worth. It speaks of things that have considerable value and importance to us. This morning, we want to reflect on another wonderful mention of things that are precious. We want to consider the precious things

Today’s Verse: The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. ~Deuteronomy 33:27 The occasion of our Scripture reading this morning is the final days of Moses’ life. Moses lived 120 years. At his death, we are told that his eye was not dim nor his strength abated. Amazingly, his vision was clear and his strength never diminished from his younger days. Just before his pass

Today’s Verse: The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. ~Deuteronomy 33:27 When we say, “You can bank on this,” we mean that something is steadfastly reliable. We mean that it is trustworthy and dependable. It has the idea of a faithful guarantee. As Israel was preparing to enter into the Promised Land to claim their inheritance, God gave them a powerful promise tha

Today’s Verse: Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. ~Deuteronomy 2:5 A “No Trespassing” sign in West Texas, with the rancher’s name signed in blood red next to the warning, read: “STOP. I know you’re thinking about crossing this gate. What you should know is that if the Coyotes, Cactus, Mesquite, Heat, Dust, or Rattlers don’t get you, I will.” “No Trespassing

Today’s Verse: He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; ~Deuteronomy 32:13 Our devotion this morning speaks of the nation of Israel riding on high places. We have adapted the phrase “riding high” from this. It is a way of saying someone is enjoying the crest of success, feeling a sense of confidence and happiness and savoring the fact he is ble

Today’s Verse: They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. ~Deuteronomy 32:5 Do you have a birthmark? This is typically a blemish you are born with that stays with you for your entire life. It is an identifier for an individual. For parents who have identical twins or triplets, a birthmark helps them tell the children apart. In our passage this morning, God speaks of people who were spotted or had bir

Today’s Verse: But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing. ~Deuteronomy 24:18 After our first Wednesday evening service of this year, I had the privilege of helping a young career age man and woman receive assurance individually of their salvation. They were both so happy of how wonderful it is to know you are saved and eternally secure. I told them it is important that they s

Today’s Verse: Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, ~Isaiah 45:3 The book of Deuteronomy consists of the last sermons and final words of Moses to Israel. Moses was in the final year of his life. God told him he would not enter into the Promised Land. So, Moses was preparing them for this great endeavor. As we read Deuteronomy 9:1, God was telling Israel to ex

Today’s Verse: And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. ~Deuteronomy 33:24-25 One of the latest health trends is the multiplicity of benefits that essential oils can provide. From the soothing of sore muscles, relief from chronic pain, to restful sleep, and overall health improvement, essential oils are being re

Today’s Verse: These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. ~Deuteronomy 5:22 A covenant is an oath between two parties. It is an unbroken promise of commitment. There is action required on the part of both parties in the keeping of this covenant. It is to be observed and kept w

Today’s Verse: Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou gives him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee. ~Deuteronomy 15:9 In Deut. 15, the Lord gave to Israel the principle of release. Every seventh year, the Hebrews were required to release from obligation any fellow Hebrew who owed him a debt. All debts would be

Today’s Verse: And I gave Gilead unto Machir. ~Deuteronomy 3:15 This morning, our devotion centers itself on a character that most people know little to nothing about. His name is referred to sixteen times in the Old Testament. His name is Machir (pronounced “maker”). He is the grandson of the patriarch Joseph. He figures prominently in Israel’s history from the wilderness journeys to the possession of the land. Let us see some inspiring things this morning about Machir. We

Today’s Verse: The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. ~Deuteronomy 33:27 The occasion of our scripture reading this morning is the final days of Moses’ life. Moses lived 120 years. At his death, we are told that his eye was not dim, nor his strength abated. Amazingly, his vision was clear, and his strength never diminished from his younger days. Just before his pa

Today’s Verse: Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt. ~Deuteronomy 24:8-9 Did you grow up in a family where you had an older sister? If so, you know there is a certain respect that the younger siblings have towards her. She is consi

Today’s Verse: No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge. ~Deuteronomy 24:6 The millstone was an important tool in agriculture and in ancient times. It was used to grind grain into flour. It consisted of a nether or lower slab of hard stone that served as a base, and an upper smaller stone. The upper stone would be used to grind grain into small, fine flour. Flour was a major staple of life, and so the millstone was ve

Today’s Verse: When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt… For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. ~Deuteronomy 20:1, 4 God was preparing Israel for the possession and takeover of the land of promise. It was occupied by nations that were pagan

Today’s Verse: Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee. ~Deuteronomy 16:16-17 A marker is a form of identification. When we lay down a marker, we are telling peo

Today’s Verse: Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. ~Deuteronomy 3:1-2 One of the most amazing wonders about living in Northern California is walking through our Redwoo

Today’s Verse: “Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.” ~Deuteronomy 1:28 I think all of us would agree that we like to be around someone who is an encourager. We are inspired and motivated when someone encourages us. Paul uses the metaphor of an encouraging father to describe how he discipled the be

Today’s Verse: “And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.” ~Deuteronomy 26:11 The Book of Deuteronomy is a book of God’s instructions and Moses’ sermons to prepare Israel for their entry into the land of promise. It contains the Lord’s directives regarding blessings and cursings. The Israelites were constant complainers. Throughout their wilderness jou