When You Return, He Restores
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 30:1-10 (NASB)
1“So it will be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have placed before you, and you call them to mind in all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you, 2 and you return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul in accordance with everything that I am commanding you today, you and your sons, 3 then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If any of your scattered countrymen are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will be good to you and make you more numerous than your fathers.
6 “Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live. 7 And the Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you will again obey the Lord, and follow all His commandments which I am commanding you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in every work of your hand, in the children of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; 10 if you obey the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
SUMMARY
Moses speaks to the Israelites and urges them to return to the Lord their God once they realize all these curses described by Moses come upon them. And when they do return to God and obey Him with all their heart and soul again, God will restore them from captivity. He says that God will circumcise their heart and the heart of their descendants to love the Lord their God so they can live. Moses tells them that when their hearts turn back to God with obedience, He will prosper them abundantly in all the work of their hands again.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
As I was reading this passage, I reflected a lot on the verse "Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Deut 30:6) In the verses prior, Moses emphasized how we need to "return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul.” (Deut 30:2) These verses made me realize that I need to turn my heart towards God again. If I cannot do it with my own willpower alone, God will do what I cannot by “circumcising” my heart, cutting off the things that hinder me to have relationship with Him. Circumcision reflects a permanent change of the heart. By cutting off the unnecessary and sinful parts of my heart, I can love the Lord our God completely. When I return back to Him with renewed heart of mine, God restores.
APPLICATION
Through reading today’s QT passage, I realized the importance of not only obeying God outwardly, but inwardly by giving Him my heart to restore covenant relationship with Him. I reflected that there are certain areas in my life where I have trouble obeying Him, and have not surrendered to Him completely. I still have trouble fully trusting God when my circumstances are not ideal and I tend to develop fear and negative thoughts in my heart.
I think in order for me to fully trust His provision and grow in my faith, I need to take that first step of obedience and not act in my fear. I need to act according to His Word and believe in His promises. I think my act of obedience and following His leading will restore my heart to have peace rather than fear.
PRAYER
Thank you Lord for doing the impossible and being the one who uniquely formed me outwardly and also inwardly by shaping my heart. Lord, I realize that in order for me to completely trust you and follow you, I need to first align my heart to your will. I pray that I will be able to spend more time with you this week and turn towards you in all areas of my life.
Amen!
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