Evensong

Last night we finished 1 Corinthians. We decided to read Deuteronomy next and made it through chapter 1.

A few places we read "the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it .." God had given them the land yet they still had to go up and take possession. I think the same is true today -- there are many things God has given us but we still have to "go up and take possession".

What contributed to their failure? "Our brothers made us lose heart" (1:28) -- don't underestimate your power to discourage others away from the will of God because of your fear and complaining. I imagine that is why we read in Ephesians "do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their need that it will benefit those who listen" (4:29).

Then we read "In spite of this [God's deliverance], you did not trust in the Lord your God" -- God called them an evil generation. Trust in God. Faith. One of the most important reasons for our fellowship is to encourage one another in our trust in God.