March 28

Deuteronomy 9

God tells the people of Israel that they are going to cross the Jordan.  The nation is bigger than the Israelites, the people are strong and tall and no one can stand up against those Anakites! Forget about it!  Why are they going?  Because the Lord told them they will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as He had promised. (v.3).  There are days when going into public school is like entering a foreign nation where the people are bigger, taller, and stronger than I am.  The laws that govern the day are so opposite of what I believe and Who I belong to that being being a stranger in a foreign land takes on a whole new meaning even though I am less than a mile away from my house.  So every day when I get up and face the battle, I have to remember that God has promised to fight my battles.  But what do I need to do? I start my day in prayer and in the Word so that I can be rooted in the truth. His truth will never change.  I need to be still and let Him be God.  We all struggle and we all have fears of what is "bigger and taller" than us. Maybe we all feel like strangers sometimes.  But as I reread the Old Testament and how God continually filled His promises to Israel despite their being "stiff-necked people indeed" (v.13), I find strength and trust that God is Who He says He is and will do what He has promised.  So I pray today that as we get ready to battle and to get through the day, we trust that the same God who delivered the Israelites will deliver us as well.

Randi