Deuteronomy 31:30-32:27

HE IS THE ROCK; ALL HIS WAYS ARE JUST

Keywords 32:4

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

 

1. Is he not your Father, your Creator (31:30-32:14)

Moses’ song reminds us of who God is and what he has done for us. Who is our God? He is the Rock who works perfectly and justly and does no wrong. He is Creator; he is Father. In contrast, his people are continually corrupt, warped, and crooked. It was God who chose Israel, caring and providing for them as the apple of his eye. He watched over and raised them like a mother eagle. He alone led them day by day. Like a good Father, he provided all the best things for his beloved children.

2. They rejected the Rock their Savior (15-27)

But when God’s people grow fat on God’s blessings, they abandon and reject the God who made and saved them. Like an unfaithful spouse, they turn to idols of the contemporary culture; they forgot the God who gave them life. Moses saw God’s anger, wrath, and calamities from this perspective: a jealous God seeking to turn his people back. This was not based on their own merits: They deserved to be scattered and erased from history, but by his mercy, God revealed his good character to all nations of the world (26-27).

 

Prayer Father, you are our just Creator and gracious Father. Help me remember you today.

One Word The LORD is our Father

Deuteronomy 31:1-29

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Keywords 31:23

The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."

 

1. The LORD himself will be with you (1-13)

Moses was dying and would not go further. Who would lead Israel? Moses tells them to be strong and courageous because the LORD himself will be with them and go ahead of them. The LORD chose Joshua and would lead them through him. They need not be afraid or discouraged. God also gave them the word of the law. God himself is with each generation. Each generation therefore must hear his word, learn to fear him, and love him.

2. God commissions Joshua to lead Israel (14-29)

Calling Moses and Joshua to him at the tent of meeting, the LORD shares his agony of heart for his rebellious and stiff-necked people who would forsake him by worshipping other gods. Many disasters and calamities would come. God gave Moses a song to testify against His people. Joshua faced a daunting task to lead such people. But God said, “Be strong and courageous... I myself will be with you.” Moses completed the book of the law, which would also testify against them.

Prayer Father, you gave us our true leader Jesus, who leads us to your eternal kingdom. Help us humbly obey and follow him today.

One Word Hear God’s word and learn to fear him

Deuteronomy 30:1-20

THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL CIRCUMCISE YOUR HEARTS

Keywords 30:6

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

 

1. Turn to the LORD your God (1-10)

Although all those curses came upon them, there is hope if they return to “the LORD your God.” God remains ever faithful to his people, even when they are disobedient. He longs to bless those who turn to him with all their heart and all their soul. He gathers and circumcises our hearts so that we may love him with all our heart and soul. Love precedes and enables obedience. Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching” (Jn 14:23).

 

2. Now choose life (11-20)

Moses believed that the secret to maintaining a love relationship with God was having the word on our mouth and heart. Paul agrees, revealing this word as the gospel message of salvation in Jesus Christ (Ro 10:8). Although the covenant is different, the decision set before us today is the same: life and death, prosperity and destruction. To choose life is to decide to love the LORD our God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. He is our life.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for circumcising my heart. Help me choose life by loving and obeying the gospel message you have given me today.

One Word Love him with all your heart and soul

Deuteronomy 29:1-29

GOD’S COVENANT WITH A NEW GENERATION

Keywords 29:12

You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath,

 

1. Covenant based on God’s grace (1-15)

After retelling all the terms of the covenant made with their parents 40 years prior at Horeb (Mt. Sinai), Moses reminds this new generation their own experience with God’s grace as they grew up in the wilderness: God provided their clothing and food and defeated their enemies. Based on this grace, he calls them now to renew their covenant. They stand and enter this covenant relationship as his own people, no longer simply as children of God’s people. God’s promise is based on an oath—"all nations will be blessed through your offspring” (Ge 22:18)—and has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16).

2. Make sure your heart does not turn away (16-29)

The covenant gave them a clear identity as God’s people and instructions on how to be a blessing in the new land. But they must guard their hearts from idolatry and pride to keep their covenant in that new land. Although there are things we do not know, God has revealed all we and our children need in his covenant that we may follow and be blessed.

Prayer Father, thank you for making a covenant with me through Jesus. Help me trust in you today.

One Word God’s covenant in every generation

Deuteronomy 28:36-68

REVERE THE LORD YOUR GOD

Keywords 28:58

If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name--the LORD your God-

 

1. You did not serve God joyfully and gladly (36-48)

The curses would extend from individuals and households to the entire nation, starting from their king and wrecking the economy. Foreigners in their land would prosper over them. We live in the time of God’s blessing; he wants us to serve him joyfully and gladly, not taking advantage of his blessings.

2. Just as it pleased the LORD…. (49-68)

Verses 49-57 eerily foretell the horror Israel and Judah will face, even the eating of their own children while under siege, when they were later taken away to captivity in Assyria and Babylon, respectively. These curses were given ahead of time as a warning and written in the book of the law, which all the people willingly agreed to keep. But when they took God for granted, no longer revering his glorious and awesome name, God’s curses came. As God can bless, he can also curse. These things happened as a sign and a wonder to every generation, even to us, as a motivation to revere him, who jealously loves us.

 

Prayer Father, you are glorious, awesome, and full of mercy. As I remember the grace of Jesus’ cross, help me revere you as holy each day.

One Word Fear of God leads to careful obedience

 

Luke 17:11-19

JESUS BLESSED A THANKFUL SAMARITAN

Keywords 17:16

He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.

 

1. “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (11-14)

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, where he would lay down his life for the sin of the world. He traveled the lonely border of Samaria, where he was met by ten lepers. Jews avoided Samaritans, but leprosy made them a fellowship of despair. Together they cried out to Jesus for mercy. Jesus did not pass them by. He commanded them to obey God’s law: “go to the priest.” All ten obeyed Jesus and were cleansed! Jesus is compassionate to all.

2. “Where are the other nine?” (15-19)

Although ten were cleansed, only one came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan, suggesting the other nine were Jews. Perhaps they felt their obedience was enough; they deserved healing. It is easy to take God’s blessing for granted, but this man recognized Jesus as God and was overwhelmed by God’s grace. Jesus expected all to be thankful like him. He was sorry for their unthankful heart but blessed the foreigner: “Your faith has made you well.” Jesus blesses those who thank and praise God, regardless of any human distinction or condition.

Prayer Father, thank you for cleansing me from my sin in Jesus’ blood. Help me give you praise today.

One Word Thank you Jesus!

Psalms 50:1-23

SACRIFICE THANK OFFERINGS TO GOD

Keywords 50:14-15.

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me."

 

1. God summons to judge his people (1-6)

How glorious is our God, who creates and sustains the heavens and the earth, perfect in beauty! How amazing that God would come down to speak with people, that he consecrated them and bound himself to them in covenant! He is not silent; he engages his people as the righteous judge, exposing the inner condition of their hearts.

 

2. I will deliver you, and you will honour me (7-23)

In Asaph’s day, David established central worship in Jerusalem: Levites organized worship, and priests carried out systematic sacrifices. God recognized their faithfulness to these. But God does not need sacrifices; everything on earth is his! He wants an intimate relationship with his people as the one to whom we give thanks, fulfill vows, and cry out in our troubles. God will surely deliver his people, and, in this way, will be honoured as Most High. While the wicked hate God’s word and do as they please, we obey his word. Let us give thanks, keep our commitment, and cry out to him.

 

Prayer Father, thank you that through Jesus you enable us to offer thanks to you. Help me be specific while thanking you, keeping vows, and crying out to you today, that you may be honoured.

One Word Thank God from our heart (not lips)

Deuteronomy 28:15-35

IF YOU DO NOT OBEY THE LORD YOUR GOD...

Keywords 28:15

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

 

1. All these curses will come on you (15-20)

God redeemed his people and gave the covenant of Law to bless them by showing them the best way to live and to maintain a love relationship with him. But those who did not carefully keep it would be cursed, impacting every way of life: urban or rural, kitchen and children, crops, and health.

2. The LORD will… (21-35)

These curses are not “cause and effect,” impartial rules of law. Rather, the emphasis here is that the LORD himself will curse: their bodies, nations, society, minds, families, businesses, etc.… This reveals the love of God in a covenant with his people: When they violate the covenant, they break their relationship with God by abusing his love and grace. Due to sin, this covenant could not be kept. God’s mercy is revealed in the New Covenant: God poured all these curses on Jesus, who became a curse for us (Gal 3:13). He sent the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, empowering us to obey his word and to live in communion with God by faith.

 

Prayer Father, you redeemed us by grace, and our relationship matters to you so much. Help me to carefully keep the covenant in Jesus’ blood daily.

One Word If you love me, obey my teaching

Ephesians 6:10-24

PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

Keywords 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

 

1. Be strong in the Lord (10-20)

The Christian life is like a battleground. So, we Christians must be spiritually strong in the Lord. Paul commands us to put on the full armor of God to take our stand against the devil. There are seven pieces of the armor of God. The first five are defensive: 1) the belt of truth that protects us from the devil’s lie; 2) the breastplate of righteousness, from Satan’s condemnation; 3) the sandals with the gospel of peace, from worries; 4) the shield of faith, from arrows of unbelief; 5) the helmet of salvation, from doubt about salvation. The last two are our offensive weapons: 6) the sword of God’s word to defeat the devil; 7) prayer to fight with God’s spirit. We must also pray for others to share the gospel fearlessly.

 

2. I am sending him to you (21-24)

Paul was sending Tychicus with the letter to the Ephesian believers to share about Paul’s ministry to encourage them. We are not fighting alone. There are other believers in the spiritual battle. By sharing God’s work and praying for them, together we can stand firm in the Lord.

 

Prayer Lord, help us to fight against the devil by putting on the full armor of God.

One Word Stand our ground

 

Ephesians 6:1-9

AS IF YOU ARE SERVING THE LORD

Keywords 6:7

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,

 

1. Parent-child relationships (1-4)

Everyone wants to live in a loving happy family relationship. But often rebellion, lack of discipline, negligence and misunderstanding at home ruin it. To have a godly family relationship, children are to obey their parents “in the Lord,” and parents are not to exasperate their children but to bring them up in the training and instruction “of the Lord.” Obedience to parents means honouring the order God placed in the home. Training children by setting a godly example means showing God’s love and care to children.

 

2. Master-slave relationships (5-9)

God created everyone equally in His image. But the Roman Empire practiced slavery, and some Christians were slaves or slave masters. Paul instructed both slaves and masters on godly relationships. Slaves were to obey their masters with respect and serve them as if they were serving the Lord. Masters were to take care of them with God’s love and to lead them by serving. The same principle can be applied for the relationship between employers and employees. The Lord of both Christian employers and Christian employees is Christ.

 

Prayer Lord, at home and at work, help us practice the Lord’s way through obedience and care.

One Word Submit to one another

Ephesians 5:22-33

LOVE AND RESPECT

Keywords 5:33

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 

1. Wives, submit to your husbands (22-24)

The general principle for the human relationship is to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (21). For the marital relationship, the wife is to submit to her husband as the head of the family. Paul compares this relationship to Christ’s headship of the church. As the relationship between Christ and the church is sustained by love and submission, so is the relationship between a husband and wife.

 

2. Husbands, love your wives (25-33)

As Christ loved the church, the husband should love his wife. Christ loved us when we were still sinners. He gave himself up for us to be holy and blameless. His love is unconditional and sacrificial. So Paul says, “…husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.” We take good care of our bodies with food, clothes, medicine, rest etc. Likewise, the husband should love and take care of his wife. The husband and wife are one flesh through God-ordained marriage, and it is “a profound mystery.” To keep this profound mystery Christ-like, the husband must love his wife and the wife should respect her husband.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for your submission to God and your love for us. Help us imitate your example.

One Word Do as Christ has done

Ephesians 5:15-21

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU LIVE

Keywords 5:15

Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise,

 

1. Understand the Lord’s will (15-17)

As God’s people now, we need to be very careful to live our life wisely before God because the days are evil. In other words, we need to be very conscious of our Christian living, making sure that our motive and actions express our new life in Christ. So then, we are to live wisely by making the most of every opportunity that comes our way to grow in Christ and to share the gospel. We are also to understand what the Lord’s will is. We often experience the foolishness of our own will. Those who understand God’s will through Bible study and prayer and follow it are truly wise and mature.

 

 

2. Be filled with the Spirit (18-21)

Getting drunk on wine leads to debauchery. God’s people should instead be filled with the Holy Spirit. God, not we, can fill us with His Spirit, when we are spiritually ready through confession of sin and commitment to Him. Those who are led by the Spirit can sing songs of praise from their heart to the Lord and give thanks to God for everything because God-given joy is in them. They can submit to one another.

 

Prayer Lord, help us to make the most of every opportunity for your glory and for our spiritual growth, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

One Word Live wisely before God

Ephesians 5:1-14

FOLLOW GOD’S EXAMPLE

Keywords 5:1

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

 

1. Walk in love (1,2)

In the previous chapter, Paul urged believers to keep unity and to live in holiness. To do so, they need to follow God’s example described in chapters 1-3 and walk in love. Christ followed God’s example by loving sinners and dying on behalf of them who had no love for him. His love and sacrifice became a fragrant aroma to God. In the same way, as followers of God’s example, we must be willing to demonstrate sacrificial love for others that is a fragrant offering to God. Love, to be real before God, must cost.

 

2. Live as children of light (3-14)

In the lives of God’s people, there should be no place for evil practices such as immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking that invite God’s wrath. We are changed people who are no longer darkness, but light in the Lord. So instead of backsliding into darkness, we should live as children of light who seek for the fruit of the light such as goodness, righteousness and truth, and for what please the Lord. God created everything to bear fruit and our life-fruit will be determined by how we live.

 

Prayer Lord, help us walk in love by following Jesus’ example and to live for the fruit of the light.

One Word Just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us

 

 

Ephesians 4:25-32

DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

Keywords 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 

1. “Therefore…” (25-28)

What do we do when the gospel comes to us? We become new creations. However, Satan tries to get a foothold on us at all times. But we must not give him a foothold. We shouldn’t speak falsely to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We shouldn’t let anger control our behavior and lead us into sin, but we should forgive whoever made us angry. We shouldn’t steal, but rather work to earn our keep and to have something to share with those in need. When we live like this, we do not allow the devil to get even a foothold in this world.

 

2. Build others up (29-32)

James teaches that the tongue is a world of evil (Jas 3:6). We should tame our tongue and use it to build others up, not tear them down. We should not be bitter or angry toward others but forgive them when they wrong us. For our Heavenly Father forgave us our multitudes of sin. By doing these things we please the Holy Spirit, and do not grieve him.

 

Prayer Lord, help me to live my life that others may see your light in me. Help me to be compassionate toward others and use my tongue to build them up.

One Word Live in such a way that we please God

 

Ephesians 4:17-24

CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD

Keywords 4:24

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

1. Put on the new self (17-22)

Most of the Ephesian Christians were Gentiles. But Paul uses the term “Gentiles” here to mean those who do not know God. They are those who are apart from God and are controlled by their sinful nature. They are the ones Paul decries in Romans as those whose thinking is futile and whose “foolish hearts are darkened” (Rom 1:21). They are the ones who have given themselves over to a depraved, sinful life. Paul admonished the Ephesian Christians that they must not live like this any longer. They belong to Christ. When we belong to Christ we put such ways aside.

2. Made new in the attitude of your minds (23,24)

What happens when we put on the new self? The attitudes of our minds are made new. This means we become new creations! The gospel teaches us the truth of our new life in Jesus. We are made to be like God, in righteousness and holiness. Because of Jesus, our old, sinful selves are gone. God doesn’t see us anymore as dirty sinners and His enemies. Rather, we are a new creation in Him!

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for the new self you have made us to be through Jesus. Help us to live as your new creation in all righteousness and holiness.

One Word Take off the old self; put on the new

Ephesians 4:1-16

LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING

Keywords 4:1

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

 

1. Make every effort to live as Christ did (1-13)

Paul urged the Ephesian Christians to live their lives worthy of Christ and his calling. How do we do so? We strive to be like Christ. He was humble and gentle. He patiently bore others in love. We can do these things too. We can also make every effort to keep the unity of the body of Christ, for there is only one Lord, one faith and one baptism. And we all love under the grace of Christ.

2. Grow to become the mature body of Christ (14-16)

Young Christians are susceptible to deceitful schemers. They are blown about by those who are cunning and crafty and want to ensnare others by their false teaching. We are no longer susceptible to these kinds of people as we grow in Christ. When we speak the truth in love we will in every respect grow and mature to be like Christ. And as we grow more like him, the whole body of Christ grows and is built up in love.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for your calling to be a part of the body of Christ. Help me to live a life worthy of your calling of me.

One Word Grow to be like Christ

Ephesians 3:14-21

SO THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HERTS

Keywords 3:17a

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

 

1. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts (14-17a)

Paul had two prayer topics for his Ephesian brothers and sisters. In his prayer, Paul revealed two very important aspects of Christian life. The first prayer topic was that God may strengthen the Ephesian Christians through the Holy Spirit. When they had the Holy Spirit, they would come to have Christ dwelling in their hearts, through faith. As Christians we need Christ to dwell in our hearts. This should be one of our prayer topics.

 

2. Rooted and established in love (17b-21)

The second prayer topic Paul had for the Ephesian Christians was that they may be rooted and established in the love of Christ. The love of Christ is unlike any other love. It is wider, deeper, longer and higher than any love we have ever experienced. We cannot know this love on our own. It isn’t like human love. The love of Christ surpasses all human knowledge! To know Christ’s love is to know the measure of all the fullness of God.

 

Prayer Lord, may Christ dwell in my heart. May I come to know deeply the love of Christ in my heart.

One Word May Christ dwell in my heart

Ephesians 3:1-13

GOD’S MYSTERY REVEALED

Keywords 3:6

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

 

1. The mystery given by revelation (1-6)

Paul was a prisoner. But he didn’t write as one who was locked up. He was joyful in Christ. To Paul, the Risen Jesus had revealed a mystery—a mystery never understood by the Jews. But this was the basis of Paul’s gospel ministry. The believing Gentiles were to be heirs of God right along with the Jews. Together, they would form one body-the church of Jesus Christ.

 

2. The boundless riches of Christ (7-13)

Given Paul’s past, being a servant of the gospel was the last thing anyone would expect. But that was God’s abundant grace to him. Paul knew he was unworthy, but he received the grace of being a minister of the gospel to the Gentiles. The gospel went to Jews and Gentiles alike, bringing them into one church, that the gospel might be preached to the ends of the earth. Through faith, we may all approach the throne of grace. Paul hoped his suffering would reveal God’s glory to others.

 

Prayer Thank you for revealing the wonderful mystery of your salvation. Help us to abide in your grace.

One Word The mystery is made plain in Christ