"The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that He has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions." (Deuteronomy 29:29)
The ESV (English Standard Version) states the secret things belong to the LORD. The original word in Hebrew translates to the word...secret. Sorry, no big mystery in that one. The word means to hide or conceal, conceal carefully, to be concealed.
In the light of all the regulations, laws, decrees, curses, and blessings this gives me great freedom and extreme comfort. He knows what I don't know. He knows what I need to know and what I do not need to know. This scripture also delivers another freedom statement. We are only accountable to what is revealed to us. Many of us have stretched out minds to the limit of a brain freeze to try to understand what all these means. We are NOT accountable. I don't know about you but I am responsible for knowing so many things, I am glad not to know more than I need to know.
Praise God!! Thank you for revealing this to us all. We are a bit bewildered and perplexed at all that is written. Thank you revealing this word of hope to us today.
I say that we all write this scripture in the front cover of our Bible. (I am pausing to do it right now.) Back now. I don't know about you but I feel lighter already. We can refer back to it when (notice I did not say if) something else arises we don't understand.
God speaks again about secret or hidden things through the prophet Jeremiah.
"Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things fenced in, and hidden which you do not know(do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand)" (Jeremiah 33:3-AMP)
Our hope today is we can call to Him. He will answer. And we can trust Him to reveal to us His hidden truths on a need-to-know basis.
16 Comments:
Each morning I sit to read through my Chronological Bible first, to gleam what God has to reveal through His word. Afterward, I am eager to read what Wendy has to comment about the selected scriptures and what everyone else has to share. Some days are so full of many many revelations of what God has to reveal to us. Isn't it wonderful and exciting to come into these jewels of wisdom! The more I learn, the more I know I have so much more to learn. Little by little, precept upon precept, we are growing daily in His word. The Lord is a great and mighty teacher illustrating to us what is important for us to know and revealing His truths a little at a time. Thanks, Wendy.
Good Morning Gals,
Wendy, you had asked us if we have a key verse for the year...I have not done that before, but like the idea...so, I decided to take the first Bible verse I memorized back in Jan. and claim that one for this year! It seems so appropriate for our group too, so will share it:
Hebrews 10:25
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
That is what I feel like our group is doing! Through God's Spirit in you Wendy, you encourage us with your daily insights. Each of us partaking is encouraging each one of us to keep reading. When some of us are experiencing hardtimes, we are there to pray for them...as I see it, the closer we get to the "Day," all the more encouragement we will need.
The more I read, the more I realize for myself, that it is the daily quiet time in the Word that helps me the most. The more we do that, the more He reveals Himself to us, and possibly the less "bewildered and perplexed" we become. :) I loved the 2 verses you shared and will write them in my Bible too. I love the NIV version: 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."
Well, Moses is reviewing one last time (is it his last time, or does he review again tomorrow!) in today's reading...He is very clear regarding the blessing they will receive if they choose to obey. He warns the about the consequences if they refuse to obey. He begs them to "choose life." I don't know about you all, but I am very eager for the Israelites to enter the Promise Land!
My favorite verse from today's reading is: "The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. (30:10)
Hope you all have a great Friday...can't wait to read your nuggets!
Blessings,
Lori - Mesa, AZ
Wendy, your comments were a balm after reading so many blessings and curses - it is a bit overwhelming and discouraging, as some had noted.
I parked on "A Call to Return to the Lord" Deut 30:1-10. Even after experiencing the curses, God has given us a hope! "IF at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God..." I circled what God will do:
Restore, have mercy, gather you back, return/give you back... and even after all that in vs 5b it says "THEN he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!"
But there is more - God will:
Change your heart (and your descendants' hearts), give you Life, curse your enemies, "THEN you will again obey the Lord and keep all his commands." vs 8
There's more still! vs 9, "The Lord your God will THEN make you...": successful, prosper your family and possessions, delight in being with you.
God can't make it any more clearer - despite the curses, He would prefer to bless us. He wants to do all of the above and more!
Take heart, the curse can be broken! vs 10b "IF you obey His voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and IF you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul..." vs10a, "THEN the Lord your God will delight in you."
What a delightful morning it is reading God's Word with all of you!
Wendy, That's good I like that too.
A couple nuggets that I got today:
vs 30:2-3 If you return and obey God will restore your fortunes (paraphrased) - How many of us and How many times in our lives have we strayed from God. It's so nice to know that now as I seek Him - I am restored.I'm not casted out because of my former disobedience.
vs 30:6 God will change hearts.(parphrased) I have prayed this verse daily at times for my children, family members (even myself) when bitterness and resentment, rebellion anything that takes their, my focus off of God. I pray it for my unsaved loved ones, I can't change them, but I can rely on the fact that God is a God of hearts and as this verse states He can change them. :)
vs. 30:10 If you obey (Him) the Lord will delight in you. (paraphrased) Isn't that wonderful. I love the thought of God looking at me with a smile on his face. :)
vs 31:6 So be strong & courageous! Do not be affraid and do not panic before them, For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
This id part of my daily prayers, I always thank God for never leaving me nor forsaking me. I used struggle with fear at times in my life. This verse is so comforting - God has and will go ahead of me. How I say a lot, God's got me covered.
Wendy thanks for you leading, your prayers for each of us and your committment and dilligence to this study. I am enjoying and learning a lot.
Blessings everyone - Joy hope all is well with you.
Lynn - OR
PS
A family member of mine has just been accepted into the Dream Center in LA Calif. Prayers for his recovery, restoration and new life will be greatly appreciated. He's a wonderful man when he isn't using, I'd love to see him once and for all get to the root of his hurts and shed the dependancy that has ruined his life and lives of those around him. He has 3 young children and at this point is going through the start of a divorce, because of the damage his continued using has caused. This is one of the Change of hearts I pray for.
Thanks,
Lynn
Joy, I just read your comments on your blog today...there was not a "comments" underneath so I'm writing here...I loved what you wrote! God is the key to our life. You brought those verses alive...and I loved the song too! LOVED your update on your daddy too! What more can I say, "God is good!" I will keep praying...
The comments have been soooooooo
good this morning...thank you sister's! I saw 30: 6 in a whole different light. I pray daily for my husband's heart to be opened to the LORD...but, now I have that verse to pray over him...thank you so much! What joy that gave me this morning!
Lynn, I will be praying for your family memmber!
Bye,
Lori - Mesa, AZ
Wendy, my key verse for the year is Psalms 94:19....I have turned it into a prayer. "Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, QUIET ME and give me renewed hope and cheer."
It never fails to quiet my heart and mind when I pray this...and I have had to use it MANY times this year.
I look forward to your commentary every day. I can't wait to read my Bible and then come to the computer for what you and everyone else has to say.
Thank you Wendy for your faithfulness to God.
Jan TN
What a wonderful Friday! You all are such a blessing! Wendy, I wrote the verse in my Bible too. I really can't add much to all that has been said; the only other thing that struck me this morning was God's blessing to Joshua in 31:23 - Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: “Be strong and courageous, for you must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you.”
This was the third time in the space of 23 verses that this admonition appears. As Lori has said, repetition is a great way to teach. I see this admonition as something God really wanted to teach us.
Thank you Lori for sharing your key verse! I agree that it is very fitting for this group!
Lynn, Diane, Joy, Susan, your specific prayer requests are on my heart. I also pray for this whole group every day, whether you have posted or not. I feel the Spirit of the Lord present with us and enlightening us.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen, CA
Happy Friday to all ~ Spring has Sprung!
Here in Alaska we have glorious sunshine and longer days but still several feet of snow on the ground which needs to melt away...soon, we hope! It has been a week with temperatures reminiscent of winter so we are ready for the warmth of the sun!
Have not been posting this past week due to time constraints, but, like Lutiemom, I come here every day right after my time with God to share in the messages which have been spoken to you through the readings.
This morning I realized that as the Israelites wait to enter the promised land and receive their instruction, so do I. I will be moving to a new home and a new job (still in AK) in July...this time for me is one of entrances & exits, hellos & goodbyes...and...my God reminds me ~ a time to rededicate myself to him ~ to renew our vows and our understanding.
I heard his call again three years ago and since then he has (DEUT 30:1-10):
*restored my fortune
*had mercy on me
*changed my heart
*made me successful
*delighted in being good to me
All of this for the pleasure of knowing and loving him with all my heart soul and mind.
This in addition to the exceptional hope and comfort found in verse DEUT 29:29...what a delight-full morning with God and with all of you!
My prayer for today and the coming weekend is that God reveal more and more to us every day. May he fill us up and continue to use us for the glory of his kingdom. As we come to know more of him through his work in us I pray he will help us be a light to the witness of his love.
Love, prayers & blessings,
Liz
Alaska
Lynn, I will pray for your loved one. The Lord holds the key to his release from captivity.
Lori, thank you for your kind words. I don't know why you couldn't post a comment. I just tried to and had no problem.
Wendy...I'm so relieved by the truths revealed here...just knowing there are "unknown secrets", helps calm my heart.
I'm thankful for the things the Lord has disclosed. I'm so greatful for "the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven" that God has given to us (Matt 13:11). We hold so many treasures as His children.
This morning I took time to remember the freedom He has brought me. A lock hung firmly in place for years. The contents inside were guarded and protected from view. Not that the treasures inside were so valuable and precious that they needed to be kept under lock and key, it was that they were so shameful the owner desired no eyes would ever rest on them. Worried that anyone would see the truth, chains bound the heart that held the pain.
"He is the key to your life". Deuteronomy 30:20
Hands that held the Master Key, gently, lovingly, tenderly spoke words of comfort as the restraint was removed from my heart. No longer under bondage, release was given.
Jesus is the Key,
Joy
Wow gals, these were GREAT comments today! I have the verse firmly in place in the front of my Bible!
Side note to Liz...my hubby and I are vacationing to Alaska this summer...your little comments about your lovely state gave me chill bumps in excited anticipation of our trip....thanks..
Lynn..your heart in my heart regarding the addicted loved one. This disease is rampant today and we all have someone who needs help for an addiction. Bless your relative for taking that important first step in seeking help.
I too rested on "The Lord your God will change your heart - so that you will love Him with all your heart"... I too have loved ones who aren't saved; I cannot change them but my almighty Lord can. Amen.
Thank you for these super comments today....loved them all.
prayers and blessings
Your SIC
Morgen - MN
Still on the journey...and reading along with....just pondering and pressin' into God..
Have a wonderful first day of SPRING!!
Raylene
Iowa
Hey Yall,
Haven't had any me time yet. So I will be back later. I have a house full of VMI (college guys)and it is nuts. But wanted to see what was going on. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Be back later,
Diane
What stood out for me was:
The Lord will change your heart.
You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him,and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.Love it!
Praise God that Christ is our Key to our life.
Have a wonderful weekend all!
Debra
PS- Lori, I was born and raised in Phoenix and lived there most of my life until 12yrs ago move to N.Ca.
My daughter was born in Mesa.:)
......I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them. Deut. 31:21
My nugget today: God knows everything about us past, present and further and yet he chooses each day to love us conditionally and woo us back when we go astray. What a mighty God we serve!!!!
Have a glorious weekend!
Debbie - North Carolina
I am back,after pondering the reading and the things said, don't think that I can add much else. I am glad my God keeps His promises, the good and the bad.
Wendy, thank you for another good week of direction and faithfullness.
Lynn, I pray for this family member going to the Dream Center. I have heard good things, however addiction is a powerful thing. To add divorce to the mix just makes it harder. His true reliance has to be on the Lord.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. My oldest goes back to college this Sunday. It is a 7-8 hour round trip for me. With my chronic pain and RA it's such a hard trip for me. I am praying that he can catch a ride back with one of his friends. So if you would say a little extra prayer I would appreciate it.
Blessings,
Diane
Wow! I am truly blessed with reading all of your comments today. I would write my own, but I am just going to "Ditto" Debra's comment.
I pray that you all have a blessed weekend, and that in some large or small way, God shows you His presence and His unconditional love in ways you have never experienced before this time. He is a great God and am so blessed knowing we are His!
Happy Weekend!
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