TVCC Students,
It has been so wonderful to be refreshed in the truths of Deuteronomy with you guys. We are encouraged to see you all on Wednesdays and Sunday evenings as we all seek to know our King more and learn what it means to live in His presence on a daily basis. This week we spent time looking further into Deuteronomy 1 and all of the truths that we can take from looking at the lives of the Israelites as the new generation stood ready to enter the Promised Land. Here is a recap...
~Deuteronomy means "second giving of the law" and where one generation of Israelites had failed to enjoy the Lord's promised land because of disobedience, the new generation stood ready to trust and obey.
Q: When you look at your life as a whole, would you say that you are more like the 1st generation of Israelites that lived in fear and disobedience or are you more like the 2nd generation that had fears but learned from the failures of others and was ready to trust the Lord and do whatever it takes to enjoy His presence (the wonderful promised land)?
~1:19-20: Israel was leaving the land of Horeb which was a dry, parched land to head into Kadesh-barnea which was the wonderful promised land that resembled the lush and beautiful garden of Eden. The Lord was calling them through Moses to leave the desert and pursue a new land that was so wonderful it couldn't even be compared with the parched desert from which they were leaving. The rebellion of the past generation had led to the people spending their lives wandering in a miserable land. This is a great picture of how sin and rebellion affects our lives. When we live in rebellion against the Lord, our lives are dry, empty, exhausting and unfruitful. The Lord has so much more for us if we will trust and obey Him.
Q: Has your life looked more like a dry, parched land lately because of your disobedience/ lack of faith or have you been living with the Lord in His presence ( more like a spiritual "garden of Eden" )? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that you can leave the desert and enjoy the promised land?
~1:20-21: God had freed the Israelites from the bondage of slavery of the Egyptians. He has freed us from the bondage of sin and death. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. We were once slaves to sin and death. The Lord gave them victory over their masters. The Lord gives us victory over our masters through the death and resurrection of Jesus!
~Colossians 2:13 explains this very clearly by showing us how we were once dead and He made us alive!
~Colossians 2:6 calls us to walk with Him in the same manner by which we have been saved- by grace through faith!
~John 17 is a great passage that shows Jesus' heart for us as we seek to be in His presence. God wants us to be one with Him not just for us but also so that the world will see God in us. The Lord also wants to be with us as He was with Adam in the garden... not for His good... but for our good! It is best for us to be with Him, to be near to Him. This brings Him glory and lets us enjoy the peace of His sweet presence.
~Another thing that we must note in this passage is that while the Lord gave the Israelites the Promised Land, they had to go and take it. He was calling them to action. Actions reveal faith. In the same way, we have as much of the Lord as we want but it does require action on our part. We must pursue Him.
Q: When you look at the actions in your life on a daily basis, would you say that you are actively pursuing a relationship with Jesus? What does it look like to pursue His presence?
~1:22-29: The new land that the Lord was calling Israel too was not an uninhabited land. The Anakim (giants) were still dwelling there and part of Israel's call to obedience was to overtake them by trusting in the Lord and obeying Him in battle. God often calls us to wage war against things that are "giant" to us but He calls us to trust in Him to lead us into victory over those things. Life with Jesus is not always comfortable or easy but only in Him will we find true and everlasting peace. Exodus 14:14 is a great reminder for us. The Lord fights for us!
Q: What "giants" are there in your life that the Lord is calling you to overcome BY HIS POWER and SPIRIT? Remember that we overcome everything by the power of Christ within us, not by trying to do things ourselves. What does it look like to overcome "giants" by HIS POWER?
~The Israelites had been living in tents and God wanted to give them a permanent, wonderful home. We are so similar. We had been wandering around spiritually in insecurity and instability and the Lord wants to give us eternal peace and stability in His presence. Let us not complain when things are difficult because our eternity is secure in Him!!
Q: Do you find yourself being someone who continually complains about your life or are you taking each struggle and using it as a way to be refined by the Lord for His glory and your good? What is the most recent struggle that you have gone through that could have been used to grow you? How did you react to that challenge?
~Take a look at Mark 5 and let it sink in as to how powerful Jesus is. Just as the Lord was more than able to overcome the enemies of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy, He is more than able to overcome every struggle and battle that we face. Jesus is powerful!!
Q: Which section of Mark 5 is most encouraging to you? Why?
~1:30-33: Before sending Israel out to overcome their enemies, Moses has them call to mind past victories that the Lord had led them in. When facing battles of our own, it is always so important that we call to mind past victories that the Lord has led us in and even dwell on past victories that we have seen Him lead other in. The Lord has overcome for so many people and He continues to lead His people in victories, both small and great! He carries us for His glory and our good! Let us trust in Him.
Q: What is the most powerful victory that you have seen someone go through by the Lord's power?
Dear students,
We love you all so much. We love getting to spend time with you and see how the Lord is moving in your lives. We pray that you will spend time meditating on His word today and enjoying fellowship with one another as we seek to be in His presence and represent His name well to the world around us. Meditate on His victories and continue to pursue a relationship with Him by grace through faith. Again, we love you!!
With hope,
~Sonny and Casi
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