Review, count my blessings . . .

Deuteronomy 2; Psalms 83–84; Isaiah 30; Jude

Deuteronomy is a rehash of the three books before it, which tells me it is important to review all that God has done and even take a backward glance now and then at my failures. Both remind me of His great faithfulness and my great sinfulness and need to always trust Him.

Both that Bible book and Isaiah repeat God’s warning: Do not go back to Egypt. The application is clear. They were in bondage in that worldly place just as I was in bondage to sin before Christ took me out of that condition. Like Deuteronomy, Isaiah reminds God’s people of their rebellion:

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. (Isaiah 30:15–16)

His next section is positive. He tells God’s people and me that even though we have resisted the Lord and gone our own way so often and so much, the Lord is not giving up:

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:18–21)

These are precious words. The Israelites may have shook their heads in wonder. Some of them didn’t listen and this message was repeated many times until the Messiah came. Even then, they missed the point; they could not save themselves. Their own way and the way of the world would not set them free. Only God’s saving power made possible by the sacrifice of His Son would clear their guilt and take them to the way of life He promised.

It is good to review and yet not my nature to think much about the past. I tend to forge ahead, putting everything behind me. This is not always a plus. Each evening I struggle to remember the blessings of the day and be thankful. If I were God, I would be right annoyed with me at times! Yet He “waits to be gracious” and “exalts Himself to show mercy” to me. This is a wonder. Not only that, He teaches me and continually guides my life and even uses the afflictions to show me His graciousness. I am in awe.

Jude makes the OT/NT connection clear when he writes, “Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt . . . .” My Savior was also their Savior. For many, they didn’t get it. I’m not to be stubborn and faithless but trust Him. He tells me to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

The bottom line is the glory of God and Jude also makes that clear:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24–25)

Today’s application is also clear: Remember what God has done and be grateful for His power to keep me on salvation’s path. Contend for the faith taught in these holy Scriptures and live it out so that God is glorified. Be eager to share this with others because so many people have no idea of the joy in Christ that can be theirs.