Life at MABTS

a glimpse into daily life at mid-america baptist seminary

Posts Tagged deuteronomy

Letting You Go Hungry

Nov 5

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Deuteronomy 8:2-3 says:

Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Apparently, the things we think are most important (like food, money, above average grades, job security, being successful, a healthy retirement, etc.), may not be all that important after all. Further, God is willing to let us go without these all-important things in order to focus us on what is important. Him.

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Fat and Unruly

Oct 29

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I learned something about the way people are. About myself.

I read these four lines in Deuteronomy.

But [my people] became fat and unruly;

the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!

Then they abandoned the God who had made them;

they made light of the Rock of their salvation.

Comfort preceded abandonment. Fatness came before being unruly. Being stuffed resulted in making light of God.

A few months ago something huge happened to us. It was scary. Never have I felt so inadequate. Never have I looked to God with such desperation.

Things got better.

And, it became a difficult thing to look to God as the one who is really taking care of my family. Being in the valley pretty much stinks from our point of view. However, maybe it’s something God uses to draw us close to him. Maybe he uses those times to teach us to be more dependent upon him. So that we don’t become fat and unruly when times are good.

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Just Remember

Oct 22

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God delivered the people of Israel, his people, out of Egypt. Powerfully. Convincingly. Miraculously.

Now, they were about to enter a New Land. Yahweh was giving them a new home.

Moses, anticipating their fear, told them,

Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’ But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt. Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear . . . No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.

Simple. Just remember. He didn’t tell them to get in shape to fight better.

Just remember.

He didn’t warn them to make sure they had an effective strategy.

Just remember.

Remember that Yahweh has never left you. He has never forsaken you. He is a great and awesome God.

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