Have you ever felt alone? I think we all go through times in which we feel alone. The amazing blessing of God for the child of God is this, you are never alone. In today’s reading, Moses reminds Israel of the great privilege they have because they are God’s people. Deuteronomy 4:7 says, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”
Moses is reminding Israel of God’s faithfulness to them, as well as reminding them of God’s blessings to them. Even though there were bigger and more powerful nations in existence that were certainly a threat to Israel, no other nation on earth could brag that God was near to them. No other nation could say “we are God’s children.” With that declaration came great responsibility, but also great blessings for Israel. Israel was sovereignly chosen by God to be His people. Israel being selected by God had nothing to do with Israel; it had everything to do with God. However, that also meant that Israel had a major responsibility to play towards the world. Israel was to be a light to the nations by how they lived. Their lives were to be an example of who God is, what it means to live in a right relationship with God, and they would even show the consequences for disobeying God.
If we fast forward into the New Testament, we see something amazing concerning the church. What Israel was supposed to do, but failed to do through their sin; the church is called to do. Romans 12:1-2 tell us that we are to be a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that we are to be ambassadors for Christ to those around us. While as as Christians enjoy the same blessings today that Israel did in the Old Testament, we also bear the same responsibilities. This means that my life is not mine to do as I please. I am to be a living witness to the power of the Gospel and the glory of God. It means that I am to faithfully and accurately live as a representation of who God is to those around me. I am to daily submit myself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let us remember this, “to whom much is given, much is required.”
The awesome thing about it is this, God doesn’t expect us to do it on our own. He knows that on our own, we would utterly fail. We would fail because of our sin nature. In the Old Testament, God may have delivered Israel out of Egypt, but God spent the next 40 years getting Egypt’s ways out of Israel’s life. The same is true for you and I. While God has saved us from our sin, from the moment He saves us, He spends the rest of our life getting the sin out of us. What a blessing to know that God is committed to this work, and He will be successful in this work! No, we won’t be sinless this side of eternity. But God will use life’s circumstances, trials, and difficulties to mold us and shape us into the men and women He has created us to be. When we surrender to God’s work of transformation in our lives, we become living trophies and testimonies to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Though we often pray for God to remove difficult things from our life so that we can have an easier life, we need to remember that God is near. He has not, nor will He ever leave us alone. When we find ourselves struggling, and we aren’t sure what to do, just remember, God is near. Cry out to Him for help and for strength, and know that He will not turn a deaf hear to the cry of His children. When you feel alone just remember, God is near!
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin