Quote for the Day

“Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God.”

Today's Prayer

This week pray for God’s truth and justice. Ask God to insure it is well understood during decision-making and problem-solving. Pray that those on the road will use God’s judgment alone as they make important decisions affecting their sphere of influence.

Deuteronomy 1:1-18

Deuteronomy 1:1-18 (NIV)The Command to Leave Horeb1 These are the words Moses spoke to all in the desert east of the —that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the road.)3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of , who reigned in Ashtaroth.5 East of the in the , Moses began to expound this law, saying:6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to , as far as the great river, the . 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”The Appointment of Leaders9 At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. 10 The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. 11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! 12 But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? 13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”14 You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. 18 And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

Message

Today we begin a journey through the book of Deuteronomy. This book was written at the eve of ’s entrance into the Promised Land after 40 years of travel. Travel all in the same place… the desert. I trust God will reveal many truths to us about the way He expects us to rely on Him and Him alone.Moses was a man who relied on God and knew how to effectively use the wisdom God had given him. When they began their journey in the desert, Moses needed a way to work out the problems that arose. Taking the advice of his father-in-law, he appointed leaders to help with the many issues and disputes that had been coming to him. (Prior to this Moses was acting as the only judge for disputes and issues.)One of the most important items he tells the newly appointed judges is found in verse 17 where he tells them to NOT be partial. The focus is on delivering justice no matter what the position of the guilty party. The support mechanism given to these leaders/judges is critical, “Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God.” Knowing that they are dispensing God’s justice they should never be concerned about who they serve with justice. This is an important lesson for us. We need to look not at position, power, or other factors when making a decision, but solely be concerned with what is right and wrong. While this is an easy concept to believe and understand, for many it becomes difficult to employ in the day to day business world where politics and power attempt to influence our decisions. We need to simply stand for truth alone and make the decisions God would have us make knowing that final judgment resides with Him alone.