Reflection on
Deuteronomy 27:9–28:14
Mount
Gerizim and Mount Ebal were located in Samaria, about 40 miles north of
Jerusalem. Between the mountains, which rise about three thousand feet above
sea level, lies a narrow pass. Moses commanded that when the Israelites came
into the promised land, the blessings for keeping the law (found in Deuteronomy28:1–14) should be spoken by half the tribes from Mount Gerizim, and the curses
for not obeying the law (found in Deuteronomy 27:15–26 ) should be spoken by
the other tribes from Mount Ebal. This dramatic scene would emphasize the
importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to a
curse on anyone leading the blind astray (see Deuteronomy 27:18). God is
concerned about all of life and how we live it.
WHAT GOD WANTS DONE
Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God
When
you feel anxious in a task or a relationship, your anxiety may be signaling the
uncertainty of a goal you have chosen. You are hoping something will happen,
but you have no guarantee that it will. You can control some of the factors,
but not all of them.
For
example, a teenager may believe that her happiness at school depends on her
parents allowing her to attend a school dance. Not knowing how they will
respond, she is anxious. If they say no, she will be angry because her goal is
blocked. But if she knows all along that there is no possible chance of them
saying yes, she will be depressed because her goal will not be achieved.
When
you base your future success on something that can never happen, you have an
impossible, hopeless goal. Your depression is a signal that your goal, no
matter how spiritual or noble, may never be reached. Some forms of depression
can be caused by chemical imbalances. But if there is no physical cause for the
depression, then that depression is the expression of hopelessness.
No
God-given goal can be blocked, uncertain or impossible. With God all things are
possible. If God issued a command that could not be obeyed, it would undermine
His authority. If God wants it done, it can be done.
The
real question is: What does God want done? The answer? He wants us to be what
He has called us to be. And if that's what God wants done, no situations or
circumstances of life can keep you from being the engineer, homemaker, parent,
or leader God has called you to be.
Prayer: Lord, help me keep
my eyes on what You want done in my life, not on the seemingly impossible
hindrances that keep me from growing in You.
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