THE THEME OF THIS DEVOTION IS:
Utter devotion to the will of God leads to continuous and unyielding persistence in the carrying out of that will which in turn makes possible its performance over time. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a divine agenda that must be walked out step-by-step each day toward a lifetime goal of fulfillment.
At the end of chapter seven of Deuteronomy is a most-remarkable passage. Beginning at verse 12 God makes astounding promises of divine blessing to the people of Israel as they prepare to dispossess seven nations that are mightier than they and that have become entrenched in the land of Canaan. It will take divine empowerment to accomplish this.
In verse 17 God says to them (through Moses, OWENS translation),
CI TO’MAR BI’LE’VAV’CHA
If you say in your heart
RAB’BIM HAG’GO’YIM HA’EI’LEH MI’MENI
“Greater are these nations than I—
EI’CHAH U’CHAL L’HORI’SHAM
How can I dispossess them?”
The immediate answer in verse 18 to this self-doubt is,
LO TIRA MEI’HEM
You shall not fear them!
ZACHOR TIZ’COR (“REMEMBERING, YOU SHALL REMEMBER”—INF. ABS. WITH PARSED VERB)
But you shall surely remember
ET-ASHER ASAH Y’’H ELOHECHA
that which the LORD your God did
LE’PARO UL’KOL MITZ’RAIM
to Pharoah and to all Egypt!
Moses continues his inspired exhortation by saying that they are to remember in detail the mighty acts of God in Egypt by which they were extricated from the control of Pharoah and his people—“the wondrous acts which you saw with your own eyes, the signs and the portents, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm by which the LORD your God liberated you.” (v. 19, JPS translation)
The promise is that just as God did in Egypt he will continue to do now in their war with the nations of Canaan until those nations are dispossessed progressively over time to prevent the beasts of the field from multiplying against Israel.
It is important to learn that we operate within a strategic framework of divine purpose over the long range of our lives within the even-longer-range purposes of God for the age in which we live. We are to keep this ever-present in our awareness and to reckon daily on the miraculous workings of God on our behalf.
As our LORD Yeshua said, “I must be about my Father’s business.”
That business is your success in establishing His Kingdom Reign over the world of your habitation. It requires relentless focus and utter persistence. But do not strain yourself in the labor; simply remain steadfast. God’s continual empowerment is more than enough to carry you on toward the goal, and you will come to the end of your tenure here as a witness to his greatness in your life. You will leave that witness as a legacy to your children and to your childrens’ children forever.
