King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: God's Amazing Grace
Date: Thursday February 23, 2012
Today's Chapters: Deuteronomy 9-11

Hello My Friend,

Okay, so most people, regardless or their faith in God, try to do good in hopes of a better life, but the truth is no matter how good we try to be we have this flesh that will turn away from good in an instant given the right moment and circumstance. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” - Romans 3:10,11,23.

As Moses continues his speech to the new generation of Israel in preparation of their entrance into the promised land he assures them that God will be there for there, He will go before them, fight for them, and help them drive the inhabitants out of the land. He also points out that they are not receiving the land for any good that they have done, but because of His promise.

“Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee. Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.” -Deuteronomy 9:1-6.

Because we have sinned we all deserve death and hell, now, no one wants the admit that even their little white lie deserves death and hell, but the truth is it is a sin and any wrongdoing, whether it was meant for good or evil receives the same judgment. That is where Jesus comes in, not by any works of righteousness God promises to save us, but through our faith and acceptance in Jesus Christ. Why? Because we are stiffnecked people, which means, stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, difficult to manage, unyielding to God. It is only by God's grace that we have been saved, His unmerited love, “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:3-7.

Does that mean we can live the life we want to live after we are saved? You are free to live however you want to live, but if you choose to live your way instead of God's way you will never see what God can do. Moses encourages the Jews to circumcise their heart. “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked...Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.” - Deuteronomy 10:12-16,20,21.

Once you are saved you are always saved, but do not underestimate God, He knows every heart, He knows the heart that just cannot let go of that one thing to serve Him. He knows the heart of those who serve Him with the foreskin (sin) upon it. He also knows the heart of those who have circumcised (cleansed) their foreskin and truly love God, they see those miracles of God and realize that they truly are a miracle themselves. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9.

The heart is the center of our feelings, the thoughts we get in our head come from the heart. The soul is the center of our physical bodies, the feelings we get in our heart come from the soul. The soul craves love just as much as the heart does and it will follow along side by side, even if it knows it is dangerous. Why? The soul is our inner most being, our center of life, it follows what we feel. As Moses continues to remind Israel of the miracles and chastening they have witnessed over the years he explains the importance of keeping God in both their heart and soul.

“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves...Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” - Deuteronomy 11:18-23,26-28.

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior we receive a blessing and a curse, the blessing, God will always be with us, no matter how stiffnecked we are. He will grow us, strengthen us, and help us to prosper as we learn of Him and allow Him to go before us. The curse, those who never go beyond receiving Christ will never understand or acknowledge how amazing God is, how much He loves them, and how much He wants to be apart of their lives. They will face much tribulation here on earth and never know just how blessed they are if they just turned from their false gods to the living God living inside them. “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:16-18.

Today's Psalm: 84:11 - “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Today's Proverb: 3:34 - “Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.”

Today's Prayer: God, All we have to do to realize how blessed we are is to look back on the life we lived without You in it. It was cold, dark, and depressing, trying to fit in where we didn't belong, trying to blend in with a world that did not quite accept us. Oh, we had some fun, but in the end we are the ones who suffered. It is only by Your grace, Your love and favor of me, that You picked me up out of the rut I was in and gave me a new life. The world still tries to drag me in, now that I really do not fit in, but I know You are always with me, right there in front of me, making sure that I am safe and secure. I know I will mess up, but thanks to Your amazing grace all I have to do is come to You and You will make it right. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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