Promise 27 from Deuteronomy 8:5

Deut. 8:5 - "'Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.'"

Usually when we think of the loving heart of the Father, we think of Him through the person of Jesus, but here in the old testament, God the Creator is described as a Father who disciplines His children just as an earthly father would his son. God loves us too much to leave us just as we are, tl leave us in our folly. God does not discipline us out of the jealousy for Himself, nor out of the wrath and anger, but out of a spirit of love for His children. God wants us to get this, to understand this fully in our hearts. Moses didn't say 'Get this into your thick heads.', no, he said 'you are to know in your heart.' When information we receive stays in our brains, we can choose to draw from it or not, but when it is in our hearts, the knowledge forms who we are, it becomes a part of us, which naturally guides our actions and character. Therefore, know in your heart that God loves you enough to discipline you, for your safety and to build godly character in you.

Promise 26 from Deuteronomy 8:3

Deut. 8:3 - "'He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.'"

Bread, with the exception of manna, is something that man can produce, make, fashion. Man usually knows how to get it, has control of when to get it (if they are rich enough) and relies on it to sustain life. Bread can be substituted for rice or sweet potatoes for cultures who have a different staple. God gave the Israelites a very difficult lesson, a 40 year one, that taught them that bread alone is not sufficient, what they themselves can produce is not sufficient but they can live on what comes from God alone. His words are provision! His words gave them direction, instruction, encouragement, structure, equipping, foresight and preparation. His words gave them everything that they didn't have within their own strength. Within their own strength they were slaves, bound, hopeless and a dying race. On their own, they were lost, hungry and wandering endlessly in circles. They were powerless against the elements and the enemies. Through God's word they found identity, direction, power, promise and victory with abundance. Why would we even consider trying to live our lives in our own strength?

Promise 25 from Deuteronomy 7:24

Deut. 7:24 - "'He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them.'"

Not only will God give us all we need to defeat our enemies, but He will take care of the authority of our enemies. He will defeat the power and authority of those who oppose Him and cause others to turn away from Him. Any leader who discourages their people from turning to God or from seeking Him will ultimately be removed from that power and destroyed. God is a jealous God. I think we should pray for that jealousy to manifest itself in greater measure over the nations of the this world. Then maybe the world will see more peace and righteousness.

Promise 24 from Deuteronomy 7:22-23

Deut. 7:22-23 - "'The Lord you God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will deliver them before you, and will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed.'"

The enemy always appears to be so much bigger, ferocious and threatening than we are, regarding personal enemies that is. An enemy can be a person or a difficult situation. For the Israelites, the wilderness beasts are mentioned as their enemy. Anything that causes us to feel fearful and powerless against it. Often times when we feel afraid it is because we feel like we are vulnerable and defenceless against it. God tells us the truth, through Moses, "We are not defenceless!" God is not only our Shield and Armour but He is our offensive weapon against the enemy. He will bring our enemies to destruction through His methods either by making us wiser or stronger, or causing them (it) to be confused, thereby disarming its power and strength or threat over us. We have a mighty Heavenly army on our side. That is our promise from our Heavenly Daddy!

Promise 23 from Deuteronomy 7:21

Need to go back to this verse, too good to pass up!

Deut. 7:21 - "'You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.'"

Have you ever stood right in the midst of God? It is the most amazing experience! Your body just goes numb as a peace washes over you. Yesterday (written in Nov 21) during worship in a BSSM class at Bethel, Redding, I saw myself worshipping at Jesus' feet surrounded by a cloud of glory, it made me dance like a ballerina all around Him, He was laughing and enjoying the moment with me. There is so much freedom in the presence of God. No one else matters when it is just me and Jesus. God is telling the Israelites that He will be in their midst, they will have no need to worry about a thing. God promises that for us too! "Christ in you" allows you to carry His presence, to feel His touch and hear His laughter over you. Why don't you step into His presence today?

Promise 22 from Deuteronomy 7:18-19

Deut. 7:18-19 - "'You shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs and wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall the Lord your God do to all peoples of whom you are afraid.'"

Fear is something that we can so easily entangle ourselves with. Fear of people or anything that comes against us; a sickness or a challenge. Moses tells his people, "Remember what you've seen God do. Remember who your God is." This is why testimony is so important. When we write down what we see God do in our lives, we can draw from the strength of the testimony of who He is and what we've already seen Him do, in either our lives or others. When we know that God can save us one time, we know He can do it again, therefore we can rest in that promise of His character. This passage says God WILL deliver them again from their enemies. And so He shall do for us.

Promise 21 from Deuteronomy 7:14-15

Deut. 7:14-15 - "'You shall be blessed above all people; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle. The Lord will remove you from all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt with you have known but He will lay them on all who hate you.'"

Moses is describing what it means to be blessed by God. The Israelites experienced what it looks like to live outside the blessings of God while they were slaves in Egypt. They experienced bareness, illness, poverty and persecution. They are not in that land any longer. Could it be possible that the society and culture we live in can keep us from receiving the blessings God has for us? When a nation, especially its leaders, do not humble themselves before God, how is it then that God can bless that nation? It is those who hate Him who will experience disease, bareness and poverty. It is clear that many of our nation's leaders are compromising God's law because they are bowing to the demands of sinful man instead of standing in obedience to God. It is no wonder that God's chosen people are also subject to the curses of the nation. What is the promise here? God can and will redeem His people. He will draw them out of slavery and into kingdom health. He will pour out His abundance onto His people. AMEN!