DEUTERONOMY

Today is Monday, and we had a wonderful day at Church yesterday.  It was such a blessing to meet with God's people.  We had a great day all around with people being saved and a great crowd of God's people showing up at Church.  God was very good to us. I'm still in Deuteronomy and will be for another day or two, but here are some thoughts from my reading this morning.  (by morning, I couldn't sleep so I started reading just after 3am)  1) PUTTING THE FOCUS ON GOD- In Deuteronomy 8:17, 18 we see a change in focus that makes all of the difference.  Notice the verses and see if you can see the change in focus:  "And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. (18) But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God:  for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day."  When you go from "me" to "He" you have made the right switch in your focus.  Focus on God and what He has done, not on ourselves and what we think we have done. 2) FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS- In Deuteronomy 9, we see three times where Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights.  Quite an accomplishment, and no doubt enabled by God to do so.  In verse 11: "And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant."  We know this time is about fasting for in verse 9 we read: "... I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:" Now look at verse 18: "And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water,..."  And then also, verse 25 (at Kadeshbarnea-where they decided not to go into the promised land) "Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you."  So for three times, Moses fasted from food and water, for forty days and forty nights!  What a man, Moses! 3) AGAIN, PUT THE FOCUS ON GOD- Again in Deuteronomy 9:29 we see: "Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm." Here we see another example of putting the focus on God and not on ourselves.  Oh that we would put God in His proper position and focus of our lives.  He so deserves and demands it! 4) HEAVEN ON EARTH- In Deuteronomy 11:21 there is a phrase that leaped out at me.  Let me show you the verse, and then you will see the phrase: "That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.  God is saying that if they follow His commandments, that God will see to it that it will be like days that you have Heaven upon the Earth.  Heaven on Earth!!  That is what it seems to me I am enjoying so often.  Yesterday at Church was to me a little like Heaven on Earth.  I enjoyed it so much.  i hope that God is giving you some days like Heaven on Earth as well. Well, time is gone again.  I may even lay down again and try to sleep for two hours or so.  May God richly bless you and yours today!  Pastor Mike Mutchler