Daily Bible Devotionals

“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.” Deuteronomy 20: 1 (HCSB)

“When you are about to engage in battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army. He is to say to them: ‘Listen, Israel: Today you are about to engage in battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, alarmed, or terrified because of them. For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20: 2-4 (HCSB)

“The officers will continue to address the army and say, ‘Is there a man who is afraid, or fainthearted? Let him leave and return, so that his brothers’ hearts won’t melt like his own.’” Deuteronomy 20: 8 (HCSB)

A few years back, American suspense novelist, Steven King, wrote a book called “On Writing.” Less a text about the rudiments of writing, “On Writing” was more of a biography. In King’s opinion, the “how-to” must take a back seat to the “why,” and good writing has less to do with technique and more to do with how the writer filters life experience to the page. In short, to understand Steven King’s writing process, you must understand his life. “Life experience” is the filter he uses to sift novels from casual observation.

In his book, King wrote, “Fear is at the foundation of everything bad.” It’s an interesting statement from a fellow who has made his living in the “horror” genre. But I believe he is right, simply to the extent his words bear witness to Biblical truth. Whenever Jesus, angels, Prophets, or the Lord show up in Scripture, their first words are usually, “Don’t fear!” Fear is mistrust, the opposite of faith. If the Lord is anything, He is holy and, as such, trustworthy.

The command to “fear the Lord” is often misunderstood. “Fearing the Lord” means to worship, honor, and respect His power and authority. Many folks falsely believe that “fearing God” means being terrified of Him. Perhaps, they should re-read John 3:16.

We are “war babies” in that we’ve all been born into spiritual warfare. It is all we’ve ever known. The world is not a playground, as much as it is a spiritual battleground, yet we are commanded not to be afraid.

If “fear” is mistrust or the absence of faith, then “trust” must be the presence of faith and hope in things unseen. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Be encouraged to continue with your daily Bible study. By fortifying your hearts with God’s promises and experiencing His faithfulness through His Word, you are preparing yourselves to enter the “battlefield” each day, fearless.

Experiencing life through the filter of Scripture is how we sift faithfulness from fear.

“If a malicious witness testifies against someone accusing him of a crime, the two people in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and judges in authority at the time. The judges are to make a careful investigation, and if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you.” Deuteronomy 19:16-19 (HCSB)

“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus, so they could put Him to death. But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward.” Matthew 26:59-60a (HCSB)

Anyone who approaches “the passion story” with an open mind understands the trial of Jesus was a sham. Perhaps, this passage in Deuteronomy helps us better understand just how much of a sham the trial of Jesus was and how much it offended the Lord.

The chief priests and Sanhedrin were more than lenient toward the false witnesses. They actually went as far as to seek out false witnesses. This is how distorted things got when Jesus came on the scene. Instead of stoning false witnesses, they were hiring them!

Is it any wonder why the people of Israel were crying out for the Lord to send Messiah around the time of Jesus’ advent? It is understandable why the people wouldn’t trust the Roman government or their pagan neighbors. But what happens when you can’t trust your own religious leaders to act on your behalf in a God-honoring way?

To be fair, there was more than one “false testimony” going-on on the evening of Jesus’ trial.

“Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest where the scribes and the elders had convened. Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance, right to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and was sitting with the temple police to see the outcome.” Matthew 26: 57-58 (HCSB)

Peter’s actual testimony preceded the false testimony in the Sanhedrin. None of the testimonies of the Sanhedrin’s false witnesses are recorded in the Bible. But God chose to allow Peter’s testimony to be recorded three times.

Perhaps, today’s passage is a stern reminder of how God hates a false witness, especially from His children.

Question: When you’re around your non-believing friends, how bold and accurate is your testimony about Jesus?

“‘I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he [the prophet] speaks in My name. But the prophet who dares to speak in my name a message I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods – that prophet must die.’ You may say to yourself, “How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:19-22 (HCSB)

There are two ways to test a prophet, primarily because there are two kinds of prophecies. First, there are prophecies, which predict the future; then there are those which claim the revelation of God’s Word. So, there are basically two ways to spot a false prophet: 1) His prophecies (predictions of the future) don’t come true. 2) His message for today is inconsistent with the Word of God.

The challenge of discerning prophecies concerning the future is that you have to wait & see. Sometimes, the wait is critically long. For instance, the followers of cult leaders like Jim Jones or David Koresh went to the grave following false prophets. Other followers of false prophets may not see a fatal demise, but they risk wasting valuable years chasing after false hope.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

Satan cannot steal the soul of a true believer, but he can make them ineffective by getting them to hope in things the Lord never promised. When the object of their hope never arrives, the victim’s anger is focused on the Lord because they honestly believe the prophecy came from Him.

Perhaps, a more efficient way to spot a false prophet is not in testing the prophecy but in testing the prophet himself. Are the words they speak and the lives they live in accordance with God’s revealed Word and Jesus’ life example? Put simply: Does the overall character and words of the prophet correspond with the character and Word of God?

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father.” Matt 7: 21 (HCSB)

One of the by-products of reading the Bible every day is that we develop a heightened ability to spot counterfeits, not heed their instruction and warn others to stay away.

“When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue ruling many years over Israel.” Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (HCSB)

What kind of parent do you want to be? For many of you, your response to that question is probably, “Dude, I’m just out of high school!”

Perhaps that question means nothing to you, but it should, inasmuch as 7th-grade algebra winds up meaning a whole lot to a rocket scientist. If you never dreamt of being a rocket scientist as a youth, you’ll never be faithful to travel the adult path that leads to NASA.

Likewise, if you want to be considered a patriarch when you’re old and want to see holiness passed down throughout your generations, you have to be diligent to seek the Lord today.

The Lord commanded Israel’s kings to write their own copy of the Torah, by their own hand, under the supervision and scrutiny of the Levites.

Recent scientific studies have discovered people remember roughly 25% of what they hear, 50% of what they see and hear, and 75% of what they interact with. Of course, God has known that all along! That is one of the reasons why the Lord wanted His kings to not simply read the Bible or have it recited (to them) by experts. He wanted them to interact with it unceasingly as if it came from their own hand & heart.

As co-inheritors with Messiah, we must train ourselves, as any royal should. We should take upon ourselves the spiritual posture that understands we might be called to “assume the throne” at any moment. We’ll never solely rule “The Kingdom,” but God will give positions of authority in it for those who prove diligent.

Sadly, most Christians will never read the Bible, much less HANDWRITE their own copy! I hope this passage acts as a challenge for us to go deeper into God’s word.

Let’s encourage one another to know God’s Word and to live up to the character of the Name we have inherited!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Deuteronomy 16. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how to cancel a debt: Every creditor is to cancel what he has lent his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor because the Lord’s release of debts has been proclaimed.” Deuteronomy 15:1-2 (HCSB)

“Be careful that there isn’t a wicked thought in your heart, ‘The seventh year, the year of canceling debts is near,’ and you are stingy towards the poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty.” Deuteronomy 15:9 (HCSB)

“For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, ‘You must willingly open your hand to the afflicted and poor brother in your land.’” Deuteronomy 15:11 (HCSB)

“If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you as a slave and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year. When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.” Deuteronomy 15:12-13a (HCSB)

I would like to invite you to reflect on today’s chapter through the lens of Jesus’ message to His home synagogue in Nazareth. He quoted the prophet Isaiah, who was prophesying what Messiah would proclaim when He came. It all refers to Deuteronomy 15.

“The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’” Luke 4:17-19 (HCSB)

What is the good news that Jesus was proclaiming? In essence, He was asking, “Are you enslaved to this World? Are you afflicted, made lame by your sin? Are you poor in spirit, indebted to the Lord, and unable to pay it off your sin debt because of your lack of righteousness? If so, I have come to set you free!”

If you perceive He is describing YOU, then rejoice! He has proclaimed YOUR year of Jubilee, as well! It is imperative that we accept His offer of freedom now, during this season in which it is offered. Our “Yeshua” (Jesus’ Name in Hebrew, meaning: God’s Salvation) has come!! Receive His grace, His eternal atonement, while the season of canceling debts is here, before the time of reckoning, the great “Yom Kippur” (Day of Atonement), where sin is called to account, and those without atonement are cast out.

“But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.” Deuteronomy 14:24-27 (NKJV)

You may recall the instance where Jesus drove the buyers and sellers from the temple complex. (Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15-16, Luke 19:45) Jesus’ clearing the temple is a stark contrast to the weak, frail “Jesus” the world likes to put forth. Yes, God is love, and Jesus came to seek and save the lost, but The Lord is also known to be jealous and zealous for His people Israel and His bride, the Church.

Why was there a temple marketplace? Some people lived too far from the temple to carry their tithe offerings to the Lord. The Lord allowed them to sell their offerings in their hometowns and carry the money to the temple. Once in Jerusalem, they would re-purchase their offerings and present them to the Lord. While the presence of a marketplace was not a sin, the practices of the marketplace during Jesus’ day were!

At the temple in Jesus’ day, things had gotten way out of hand. The Levites were profiting from unfair money exchange rates and price gouging. They were like the gas stations next to the highway, whose prices are higher than the gas stations a few blocks off the highway. They were profiting from the worshipper’s ignorance and desperation.

But, what of the average Israelite’s involvement in this dilemma? Was the price-gouging solely the fault of the temple sellers? There is an interesting caveat to God’s message: Don’t forget the Levite.

The Levites were sustained by the peoples’ offerings. Today’s passage suggests a strong potential for the Levites to get left out. Could it be that the community of Israel’s slack devotion in giving tithes and offerings led to the Levite’s compulsion to price-gouge? Perhaps, this adds more gravity to Jesus’ statement when clearing the temple: My house is to be a house of prayer, and YOU have made it a den of thieves. I believe “you” refers to both Israel and the Levites. Israel robbed Levi of tithe, and Levi robbed Israel in the exchange. Consider the words of the prophet Malachai:

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.” Malachai 3:8 (NKJV)

Let’s ask the Lord to reveal what we might be holding back from Him and the community of believers. Perhaps, revival begins with a change of our hearts and actions.

“If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord, your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.” Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (HCSB)

You have probably heard the term “con man.” “Con man” is an abbreviation of “Confidence man.” The best con men invoke confidence in their victims, usually by promising something a little cheaper, faster, or better than otherwise possible, something slightly outside of conventional methods. Bernie Madoff is, perhaps, the most recent successful con man in history, and now he’s just a “con,” as in “convict.” I hope he becomes a “con-vert.”

The person being conned has to simply be convinced to step outside of righteousness for a moment. That’s all a good con man needs to rob you. It’s impossible to con an honest person. In order to con someone, they have to have a spark of “con” inside them already. And we all have that potential. There has to be the willingness to cheat in order for someone to get lured into the con man’s scheme. We’ve got to want something a little faster, cheaper, and bigger than normally obtainable.

Directly following God’s command to stay completely within His Torah (not straying to the “right or left”) are His commands concerning how to handle false prophets: spiritual con men.

Assumed in Deuteronomy 13 is that Israel would stay completely within God’s Torah instruction. That being the case, it would be 1) Completely within their capacity to spot a con man and 2) Impossible for Israel to be conned into following false gods.

The best way to sway a nation’s morality is to sway the morality of leaders. This is accomplished by slowly, subtly, yet deliberately steering those leaders away from God’s Commands. By the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Israel’s complete devotion to Torah had been mainly replaced by devoutness to the teaching of the rabbis, supported by Torah. See the subtle yet definite diversion from complete Torah observance?

With the spiritual “true north” perverted by the vain opinions of men, is it any wonder the religious leaders sought to destroy Jesus? The fact that Jesus performed miracles meant nothing to them. God predicted false prophets would do this to Israel. In the opinion of the religious elite, Messiah Jesus fit all the criteria for a Deuteronomy 13 execution! When our theology is perverted, our zeal is perverted.

Zeal check: Are you searching the Bible in order to honor the Lord by living according to His Word, or has your lack of Biblical knowledge increased the potential to become a victim of the latest religious con?

“You must be careful to do everything I command you; do not add anything to it or take anything away from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32 (HCSB)

What is “church” to you? When I say “church,” I’m speaking of 2-3 hours once a week, usually Sunday morning, when people congregate in a religious assembly.

For some, church attendance is a religious duty. For others, it may be an intellectual pursuit, an emotional release, a spiritual filling, or a musical connection.

Whatever church is to you, the goal of church leadership should be to convey the Bible in a comprehensive way. Obviously, the best way to convey the facts of the Bible is to simply teach the Bible as it is. You know that is my heart. Other times, the Bible is conveyed through personal counsel, music and arts, community service, etc.

To me, the Bible is conveyed best when all aspects of Christian life are employed in harmony, each in its appropriate time, without humiliating the other.

For instance, you may be familiar with St. Francis’ quote, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”

I have heard this quotation often and almost always supporting someone’s argument against a straightforward proclamation of the Bible. It is generally interpreted as “Live the gospel instead of preaching it.” OK, I get it.

But oftentimes, people miss an important aspect of St. Francis’ statement: There are times when preaching is NECESSARY. Nothing else will suffice. The words of Paul ring true here.

“And how shall they HEAR without a preacher?” Romans 10:14 (NKJV)

There are many reasons why we need to search the Scriptures daily. Today, I want to focus on one of them. We should study the Bible daily because it is essential for us to adhere to how God commands us to live.

The messages of preachers and leaders from among the various church movements may differ greatly. God’s Word is crystal clear. Some leaders are more conservative than God directs. They rob people of the freedom of God’s grace. Others are too liberal and rob people of the stability of God’s accountability. So, how can we distinguish sound doctrine from errant preaching? Read the Bible!

Never cease to learn the Bible and rest in it as it is. Do what the Bible says, and you won’t stray to either extreme, to the right or the left, as it were.