Thursday, February
6, 2020
“Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today? “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’ Deuteronomy 4:5-10
Reverberating in my mind from the
time I was old enough to walk is that I am blessed to live in a great country. One of the laments we hear often these days
is how far America has fallen from her greatness. The theme that carried the day in this country’s
last Presidential election was a call to Make America Great AGAIN.
That last word presupposes the fall, and hoped-for rise back to glory.
As DNA is that which is built-into
a person’s life pattern and determines so much of what we know and experience
every day, the Greatness Gene is what we imagine is our
birthright and destiny. Born American,
we are blessed and destined to shine among the nations of the world, a beacon
of light and freedom.
When Moses stood before all the tribes
of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land, he rehearsed for them
how God’s greatness had called them out of Egypt, and how God’s Providence
guided, protected, and met every need in the wilderness wanderings. And now they were to cross Jordan, possess
the land, and be that great beacon of light to the Gentiles and all nations.
Sometimes we enjoy the light more
than appreciate the light’s source.
Recently, Ken, our thoughtful son-in-law gave his mother-in-law a
wonderful gift… kitchen lighting above and below the counter. There is a motion sensor connected to the
lights that detects us moving into the kitchen from any side and turns on the
lights. Early every morning when I walk
to the place of coffee (elixir of life) the gift Ken installed is a
blessing. My choice is to enjoy the
light; I cannot do that without remembering the hands that gave that gift. (Or the old guy attached to those hands that
climbed around in our attic to do the wiring right).
When Moses spoke to Israel, he reminded them of the gift of God’s commandments
and how they were to learn them and also live them. Any nation blessed like Israel or America
ought to remember to pass that along to the next generation, to fear the God
who made them.
For
You Today
Perhaps
the message of the next presidential election season should be slightly altered
to Make America Great (and GODLY)
again!
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