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Deuteronomy 8:1-6 RSV

All the commandment which I command you this day you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out upon you, and your foot did not swell, these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

If you have wondered where I have been throughout the last 9 months -- no! I've not been pregnant! LOL! I have been experiencing much of what is described in these verses.

God has been refining me, humbling me, testing me and yes, sustaining me. Sometimes I forget that faith is not a destination! It is a journey that never ends. I know that's a bit trite, but oh so true. God wants us to "walk in his ways" throughout every moment of our lives. He knows we can't find our way on our own, so he leads us where he needs us to go so we can learn what he needs us to learn.

He doesn't leave us alone, though! He provides for us the "manna" that we need to be sustained and more. Like the Israelites who were stiff-necked and stubborn, I try to rebel against God sometimes too. I have not been intentional or consistent in my seeking Him out. I allow all the very important things of this world to interfere with the very important things God has planned for me to do.

I've been praying about whether or not to maintain this blog. I have three others and a 2x a month column and I'm about to begin a publicity campaign for my book. This morning it became clear to me that this is what I need to do first--above all else. I probably won’t be posting a devotion every morning, but I will be doing so with some regularity.

I need to stay grounded in God’s Word. I must remember that He is the source and creator of all I am and all I am able to do. To truly honor Him, I must obey, trust and believe that He will lead me to His plan for my life while I’m waiting for heaven.

Today I pray you seek God’s wisdom and guidance before all else.

Mary

Labels: God's will, manna, mary moss, wilderness, worship for the weekday