GOD SPEAKS

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 1

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

This photo is taken from Israel looking towards Jordan. This is the Gulf of Aqaba (some call it the Gulf of Eilat). It is located at the northern tip of the Red Sea.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Deuteronomy 1:21

Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.

This book is essentially a reminder for the Children of Israel of events and laws already covered in Moses’ first four volumes (Genesis through Numbers). Moses’ final book is called the Deutero-Nomos, the second law. It restates God’s laws and purposes in order to impress the message on hearts and minds.

Moses tells the people in verse 6, “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain” (it may have looked just like the mountain in Reynold’s picture above). It’s a fact that we are often comfortable where we are and don’t want to confront the mountain. God has delivered us from the past, and now He wants us to move forward into the land flowing with milk and honey which He has promised us. But there is this mountain. Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed (enough faith to obey), you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20b).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, give me the courage to speak to (not about) this difficulty facing me. I do so now in Your Presence. MOVE!!! Now, I need the grace to move forward. Thank You for the grace You are giving me to obey Your instructions. Here we go Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

One of the great people God sent to work with me in ministry is Fred Vanstone. He first introduced me to these words in business matters…”moving forward.” He was the son of a miller in Bowmanville, Ontario. He became the #2 man in the bank of British Columbia, then CFO for the Pattison Group. He took on the administration of a University, owned a Vancouver business, and then as we traveled together down a mountainside in the Rocky Mountains, we both knew God had spoken to us that we were to work together as a full-time team. Tears come to my eyes as I think of the amazing administrative gifts Fred brought to Crossroads. The mountain of debt on our 143,000 square foot TV production centre disappeared. The “promised land” of CTS (YES-TV), a network of several over-the-air TV stations, was licensed by the federal government. Fred continued after he left Crossroads to run a company based in Philadelphia with several thousand employees. Thank you, my friend Fred, and thank you, Jim Pattison, for sending Fred to us initially. “Moving forward,” the mountain moved out of the way. What God has done on the business side of Crossroads, He is doing constantly in my personal day-to-day life.

Yours for “moving forward”,

David