Daily Devotions

“Stop and think”; could be the subtext of the book of Deuteronomy as it serves a variety of purposes. As a literary text, it functions as a farewell address from Moses. As a historical text, it bridges the nomadic early history of the Israelites with their later settled history. Theologically, it establishes the laws, traditions, and blessings of the tradition, including the Ten Commandments.

Perhaps one of the crucial texts is that of 6:4  a verse we find Jesus quoted in the Gospel known as the Shema - the declaration of the basic principle of Jewish belief, proclaiming the absolute unity of God. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.”

A missionary translator was endeavouring to find a word for “obedience” in the native language. This was a virtue seldom practiced among the people into whose language he wanted to translate the New Testament.

As he returned home from the village one day, he whistled for his dog and it came running at full speed. An old man, seeing this, said, admiringly in the native tongue, “Your dog is all ears.”

Immediately, the missionary knew he had his word for obedience. 

This text is a kind of pay attention. In the Hebrew the word is a stronger more fuller word than listen it means to listen attentively, to discern, and to obey.

Once there was a man who dared God to speak. Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God. And I will follow. Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God. And I will fight. Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God. And I will listen.

And so the man sat by a bush, near a wall, close to the sea and waited for God to speak. And God heard the man, so God answered. He sent fire, not for a bush, but for a church. He brought down a wall, not of brick, but of sin. He stilled the storm, not of the sea, but of a soul.

And God waited for man to respond.

And he waited. . .

And he waited. . .

And waited.

But because the man was looking at bushes, not hearts; bricks and not lives, seas and not souls, he decided that God had done nothing. Finally he looked to God and asked, ‘Have you lost your power?’ And God looked at him and said, ‘Have you lost your hearing?’

Dear Heavenly Father, I honour you as God Almighty. I appreciate you for all your kindness and blessings lavished upon me. I love you because you first loved me in Jesus. My heart's desire today is to demonstrate my love for you in all I do, and love and say. Through Jesus. Amen.”