Deuteronomy Chp 4:32-39
Sometimes I have to look beyond the words on the page to understand tone...and the tone of God while harder to discern is critical.
32 Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? (verses 32-34)
When I read this I think of what Moses is really trying to say to the Israelites here. Of course he is trying to say that God is great. But here he asking the Israelites if they have ever experienced anything like the greatness of God...and repeatedly asking. Seems to me that Moses is worried about the Israelites taking God for granted as the Israelites often find themselves distracted by this or that and they forget the greatness that is ALWAYS with them, protecting them and providing for them.
I need to remind myself daily of the greatness of God and how blessed I am and in particular I need to remind myself of how blessed I am with my wife and how I need provide for her needs more so than I do and acknowledge her with how I feel blessed by her efforts and by who she is for me and our family. I need to not only not take God for granted and as part of this I need to remind myself of how he blesses me with my family and in so many other ways.
Moses emphasizes the need for acknowledgment here:
39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
Of course we are to acknowledge BOTH that the Lord is God and acknowledge what this means to us individually in terms of how much of a blessing this is.
My Prayer: Lord, your love abounds for me and I cannot even begin to thank you enough for how you love me, protect me, guide me, provide for me, and bless me. You are SO great. Thank you for the blessings that your provide for me daily. Help me daily acknowledge these blessings and not take you or others in my life for granted. And continue to help me with my prayer life.
