Category: For 2026

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 NRSVUE
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their ancestors to give them, and you will put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

1 Peter 5:2-4 NIV
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

The end of Deuteronomy states that there has been no other prophet in Israel like Moses, who was close to God and showed God’s power to the people. Indeed, Moses is remembered as one who pastored his people as God would have done. Even at the end of his life, he takes care to speak to the people and to commission Joshua as the next leader, clearly commanding them to follow the Lord, who will never fail them. Sensing their anxious hearts, he tells them to not be afraid.

But Moses was also just human like us, and he experienced such frustration with the people at times. We see in Moses what our great God can do with the obedience of one man who continued to turn to the Lord as the years went by. We can be encouraged that our Lord Jesus also calls us to love and care for others as he would, and it is very real and practical as we see above in 1 Peter, but he has also equipped us to love beyond our own means by giving us his Spirit. So, dear brothers and sisters, let us love as our God loves!

Prayer: All glory to you, O God, in our obedience and efforts to love others as you love. Today, help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship the Lord and pray as we sing “Build My Life” from Housefires (click here).

– JLiu

 

2 Kings 23:3 NIV
The king [Josiah] stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

Psalm 1:1a, 2-3 NIV
Blessed is the one
whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

In 2 Kings 22, when Hilkiah, the high priest, found a law book (thought to be Deuteronomy) and sent it to King Josiah, King Josiah immediately recognized that God’s people had not been living according to God’s ways and commands. He then made changes throughout the kingdom to obey God. God’s Word in Josiah’s time sparked a spiritual renewal in his life and worship of the Lord in the land, and the people experienced God’s peace.

Let us also renew our devotion to reading God’s Word each day, and we can read Deuteronomy together in this new season. As God’s Word bears fruit in our lives, we are able to see more clearly and be greater witnesses of God’s love through Jesus Christ to others around us.

Prayer: Lord, we give you glory for your works of love, healing and power in our lives, and we rejoice that there is more to come as we delight in your Word each day. Renew our hearts today to be devoted to you as your churches and use us as your witnesses in all the places you have called us to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “Won’t Stop Now” from Elevation Worship (click here).

– JLiu

Deuteronomy 6:3 NIV
Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

Isaiah 55:2b-3a NIV
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.

As human beings, our tendency can be to rely on our own thoughts and feelings, and we see this all the way back in Genesis 1 with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. However, we can easily understand that none of us would sit back and relax if our loved one was headed straight for a dangerous situation or even death. In a greater way, how much more our God who is our Father, whose thoughts and ways are higher than our ways, does not sit back and watch as we make choices or think in ways that will bring us harm. In his love, God comes near and says, “Listen to me,” so that we may live and go forth in joy and peace, in his presence always.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us learn and grow because we listened to and obeyed God in our lives, not because of mistakes we made when we chose not to listen to God’s Word. We will mess up along the way, but that’s ok! Our Father is gracious, forever patient with us, picking us up each time so that we can keep going.

Prayer: Father, what a wonderful life you have given to us in Christ! You call us forth in joy and peace, and you shower us with your love. Help us to carefully listen to and obey your Word today, and may our spiritual and biological children obey your Word as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship the Lord and pray as we sing “The God We Love (Nicene Creed)” from Matt Redman (click here).

– JLiu

Deuteronomy 1:1a, 2-3 NRSVUE
These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan—in the wilderness…(By the way of Mount Seir it takes eleven days to reach Kadesh-barnea from Horeb.) In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the Israelites just as the LORD had commanded him to speak to them.

1 Corinthians 10:11, 13 NRSVUE
These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come…  
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

“Disobedience never pays. God will forgive us when we repent, but the consequences of sin make it sheer folly to disobey. Disobedience slows down our progress!” (Ajith Fernando, Preaching the Word: Deuteronomy—Loving Obedience to a Loving God)

It should have just taken a matter of days, not almost 40 years, to cross into the promised land, but read Deuteronomy 1 and we can see that God’s people did not listen to him. Instead, they disobeyed him – when they were supposed to go, they refused, and when they were told to stay, they went. Their disobedience slowed down their progress into the promised land, but God made sure that the next generation would be able to grow up under his protection to enter it.

Deuteronomy was written to guide and warn God’s people of all ages, including us, of the dangers of disobeying God’s ways. In this life we will face temptations of all kinds and difficult circumstances, but God’s faithfulness and love for us are greater than it all. His love for us enables us to not live in fear and rebellion, and his forgiveness and kindness welcome us to trust him again and again.

Prayer: Father, thank you that in your love, you give us your Word as a guide and warning. We would be lost without you. Thank you for protecting and watching over us, and help us today to listen and obey your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “Yes Again” from Darlene Zschech and Mitch Wong (click here).

– JLiu