Luke 2- Deut. 3-4

Luke 2-

This first part of the chapter talking about Jesus' birth and the angels appearing to the shepherds and singing. What a breathtaking site to have been able to see that!

29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation"

To have been this man Simeon, who'd waited his whole life to see Jesus then to say he was ready to die, I've seen salvation!

51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

I love how verse 51 said that Jesus was obedient to his parents. This is definitely the hardest thing to get my children to do right now :) For Jesus to have grown in wisdom, he'd need instruction, which is a great reminder and encouragement to me to continue teaching my children what the Bible says!

52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
51 But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

I need to sometimes sit as Mary did and just take in and ponder all the good things God has blessed me with and treasure them in my heart!

Deut 3-4
2 The LORD said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."

3 So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors.

Despite all obstacles the Israelites faced, they triumphed! God was faithful! I'm sure they were afraid but God said, "don't be afraid"! High walls, gates, bars, men who were LARGE! Vs 11 says King Og's bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide! That's a LARGE man!

21 At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you."

God is so assuring with his words, I WILL fight for you! (vs 22)

9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere (respect) me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children."

Lord, help me to teach the children you've blessed me with about You! They need to learn about your saving grace, your love and also to fear You and hate sin!

Vs 4"but all of you who held fast to the LORD your God are still alive today." God spared the people who didn't worship idols! 15 Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,
18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.
19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Help me Lord to not make anything an idol above you! My children, my spouse, my home, I know they are all gifts from you God and I don't ever want to hold them higher than You! Worshiping an idol is (vs 25) doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and provokes him to anger!

Talking about idols, God will drive them away from the Jordan if they worship idols. 28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. 29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. 31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.

God still says that if we turn and worship idols, if we seek Him with our whole heart, we'll find Him and can return to obey Him! I LOVE verse 31, God is a merciful God.

35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. 39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

There is NO other God! These things were shown that we might KNOW that the Lord is God. Amen!