Cairo: Jesus in Egypt & God's Unusual Leaning
God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. The story of Jesus in Egypt as a boy offers a...
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Apr 29, 2018 11:00:04 PM
The time always seems right to receive God’s blessings. After all, we could use some. But sometimes, we need to pause and remember what God has done already. The Plains of Moab give us that much-needed view.
(Photo: Sunset from Mount Nebo, overlooking the Plains of Moab. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
When we focus so much on the needs of right now, we can lose sight of the fact that God has already brought us so far. Without that truth firmly rooted, we may miss the right-now blessings in front of us.
After wandering 40 years in the wilderness, Israel camped on the Plains of Moab, poised to enter the Promised Land. But before receiving the blessings ahead, they needed to remember the blessing that lay behind them.
Here’s how you can do the same.
At the end of Israel’s wilderness wandering, the twelve tribes “camped by the Jordan . . . as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab” (Num. 33:49). From this same location, Moses ascended Mount Nebo, viewed the Promised Land, and died (Deut. 34:1, 8).
(Photo: Mount Nebo view of plains of Moab and Dead Sea. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
While camped at Shittim in the Plains of Moab across from Jericho, several key events occurred:
The first two events gave weight to the third. God is committed to blessing His people, but He will not hold back from discipline when necessary. These two elements of blessing and cursing played an integral role in Israel’s success in entering the Promised Land.
(Looking north, the Plains of Moab were east of the Jordan River, north of the Dead Sea. Map courtesy of Satellite Bible Atlas)
The very fact that Moses wrote a “second Law”—the meaning of the name Deuteronomy—underscores the necessity for God’s people to remember what God has done.
Some of the reminders Moses gave God’s people in the Plains of Moab are timeless—reminders we too should bear in mind all our lives:
These timeless truths of faith, hope, and love remain lessons for us as well.
(Photo: Looking east at the Jordan River and Plains of Moab. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
It’s a helpful mental exercise. Here’s what I mean:
Indeed, we need to breathe deeply from these lessons given on the Plains of Moab.
Looking back offers some of the best help for moving forward.
Learn the top 6 Lessons from Visiting the Holy Land more than 20 times in 21 years with Dr. Wayne Stiles, a longtime devotional scholar who is passionate about sharing the practical application of bringing God's Word to life.
Tell me what you think: What helps you remember to love and obey God? To leave a comment, just click here.
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