““When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”
Deuteronomy 20:1 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.20.1.hcsb
I need to remind myself of this: when I go to battle, no matter what “battle” looks like, if I just put my trust in the Lord, I can claim victory.
“The judges are to make a careful investigation, and if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you. Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you. You must not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.”
Deuteronomy 19:18-21 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.19.18-21.hcsb
The Lord’s law is designed to deter as much as anything. To prevent sin from continuing and spreading.
“When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
Deuteronomy 18:22 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.18.22.hcsb
This is so simple, and yet so true. We are warned to be careful about false prophets, and this is a great way to know if one that is speaking is in fact true. I think of the false religions, and strangely find comfort in the Lord’s words – not to be afraid of them.
““You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, for that is detestable to the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 17:1 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.17.1.hcsb
I see in this the Lord doesn’t want our garbage. It is a shame that He has to point this out, but of course if He didn’t we would do it, which is just sad. We would see something we didn’t want and also know we needed to give a sacrifice, so we would sacrifice those things… this is relevant today because I don’t always give Him my first, whether it’s my prayers when I get up, or my bible study… My time is perhaps my greatest asset, my firsts need to go to Him.
“Pursue justice and justice alone, so that you will live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Deuteronomy 16:20 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.16.20.hcsb
This is in relation to selecting judges and officials, but it applies to all of us. The Lord wants us to pursue justice. In other words, to be fair. To do so means He will show favor to us.
“Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.”
Deuteronomy 15:10 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.15.10.hcsb
This is a take on Paul’s advice that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. I always think that has to do with giving to the church, but I think it really has to do with giving period.
“Then the Levite, who has no portion or inheritance among you, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come, eat, and be satisfied. And the Lord your God will bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”
Deuteronomy 14:29 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.14.29.hcsb
I read this verse and see how the Lord blesses us so long as we use our blessings to help those who are less fortunate, or to further His Kingdom (as represented by the Levites, who were serving Him).
““If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.13.1-3.hcsb
I read this and am intrigued. The Lord Himself may raise up people who will test me. The Lord may even give people visions and prophecies, though they are not followers of Him. This is to see if I truly love the Lord. If my memory serves me, this is actually the case during the end times, and Jesus even gives us warning about it, He is repeating the instruction of the Father.
“You must be careful to do everything I command you; do not add anything to it or take anything away from it.”
Deuteronomy 12:32 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.12.32.hcsb
I read this and am reminded that the Lord is eternal. I am sometimes guilty of thinking that the Lord’s commands to us are designed to evolve, but that is crazy! The Lord doesn’t change, and neither do His commands. Society and its norms may change, but the Lord’s commands do not.
““If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-14 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/deu.11.13-14.hcsb
The Lord is making this promise to the Israelites if they follow after Him wholeheartedly. When I first read it I think prosperity, and while I think there is some there, I do not see that as the promise. I see it as Him saying He will take care of them. That He will provide for their needs. The alternative would be for them to starve… perhaps this is the same today? If I seek after the Lord and worship Him with all my heart and soul, and love Him with everything I have, He will take care of me. That doesn’t mean He will necessarily make me prosperous, but I will have what I need.
