Blessed Is My Identity in The Lord
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 33:22-29 (NASB)
22 Of Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion’s cub;
He leaps out from Bashan.”
23 Of Naphtali he said,
“Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
Take possession of the sea and the south.”
24 Of Asher he said,
“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
And may he dip his foot in olive oil.
25 Your bars will be iron and bronze,
And as your days, so will your strength be.
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to your help,
And the clouds in His majesty.
27 The eternal God is a hiding place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’
28 So Israel lives in security,
The fountain of Jacob secluded,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens also drip down dew.
29 Blessed are you, Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
The shield of your help,
And He who is the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cringe before you,
And you will trample on their high places.”
SUMMARY
This passage continues to bless the remaining three tribes of Israel. To Dan, they are blessed to be strong as a lion at the right time. To Naphtali, they are satisfied with favor from the Lord, full of blessings, and they are shown what land they will rule. To Asher, they are blessed with sons, favored by his brothers, and will have plenty of abundance in their land. They are also conferred strength and security so their walk is leisurely, without any worries.
The passage continues to explain how incomparable God is, who is always available, if not rushed, to help, and who in all his splendor, assists in unimaginable ways that are majestic. The passage explains how God is the refuge by making a comparison to a dwelling place, who has control over everything, who drives the enemy from before them and commands them to destroy, demonstrating the empowerment and abilities God grants.
The passage emphasizes how Israel dwells in security, how the land is chosen, separated, plentiful, abundant, and God takes care of it by providing sufficient rain.
At the conclusion, it summarizes how blessed Israel is, emphasizing: “Who is like you” pointing out that it is a nation saved by the Lord. He protects, He fights for, and He delivers in victory, so that Israel’s enemies surrender in defeat, and in favor Israel may take over their high places.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
This passage really humbled me as God reminded me, once again, how much I am blessed. During this week of Thanksgiving, as I have been called by God to remember all the things to be thankful for, to remember that I am healthy, people around me are healthy, that we are all financially stable, we can make ends meet, we are capable, qualified, and able. We are also protected, safe and secure. And lastly, we have a family with truly strong bonds and foundations, and we truly have God.
This passage brought me to tears as every single verse spoke to my heart. God reminded me of how He built me up and turned me around. He raised me up from a lion’s whelp and grew me strong and sturdy into what I am today. He reminded me of the struggles and adversities I had to overcome to get to where I am today.
God reminded me how much He favored me throughout my entire life, my life has been full of blessings. Even when I thought I faced crises and downfalls, all those moments were stepping stones and opportunities that God was working through. I was initially blinded by my ways to see that God was actually working. I was reminded of the trajectory God has been leading me on, and what He wants me to conquer and take possession of to rule over by managing and handling.
God reminded me of how strong He made me, that I may handle all the blessings that are to come. And He prepared me through this journey, so I would be safe and secure in a leisurely walk of my life dedicated to Him.
God reminded me of how amazing, generous, faithful, and good He is. He has always been with me, even when I couldn’t see it, and I would forget about God. There were also times I wouldn’t go to church, and even persecuted God by denying Him in my own selfish and greedy ways. I was so humbled to be reminded that there is none like God, who is so mighty and powerful, that he could do anything, but instead, He patiently waits for me to turn back to Him. He reminded me that He is a God so unconditionally loving, that no matter what I do, how I perform, how miserably I fail, how shamelessly selfish I am, He always comes to my rescue. He is always available and prompt to fix everything I messed up. Not only does He take care of me by doing what I should have done, He has enough grace to do it thoroughly and in majestic ways beyond my understanding and beyond my capability. He is a God who has so much mercy and grace that I always receive what I do not deserve.
God reminded me that I dwell in security, in the shadow of His wings, and that He grants me His peace that transcends all understanding. When I experience anxiety, it is due to my unfaithfulness and forgetfulness, when I try to solve everything my own way. Those are moments I am mistaken to believe I can do anything without his approval by myself, in my way. But it isn’t me who gets things done, but it is God. He drives out the enemy from before me and He is the one equipping me with all the skills, talents, and gifts to “destroy” the enemy, take over and do as necessary. Everything works out in my favor, because the original command granting me success came from God, who persisted me and allowed me to “destroy”.
God reminded me that because God loves me I dwell in security. My land and my promised land is selected and delineated, and it is a plentiful land, new, fresh, and abundant. He takes care of all of it, not me that I may brag or boast, but the Lord alone that makes things happen.
In the conclusive paragraph, God topped it all by reminding me of how blessed I am, WHO is like ME, and how special, chosen, blessed I am. There is NO ONE like me who has experienced God the way I have, or seen all the miracles He has done, or the degree to which God has fearfully and wonderfully made me. NO ONE compares to me and no one can be LIKE me, for I am always saved by the Lord. HE is the shield protecting me, that HE is the sword fighting for me, so the enemies will fear me and cannot not hurt me. God reminded me that what the enemy intended for evil, HE turns for good, because HE is God above all with plans to prosper me.
As I read the entire passage over again, reflecting upon everything the Lord had done for my life, I was so humbled to remember how good and faithful He is. I come back to the simple truth that God loves me so, and God is good all the time. I was reminded to open my eyes, to no longer be blind, and see how God is leading me in life. I am enabled to enjoy the fruit of my labor in his designated land with his preselected countless blessings. I was reminded to remember everything great the Lord has done for me, and how prevalent He has been in my life, even when I couldn’t see it.
APPLICATION
God, discipline me to remember always who you are, who you built me to be, and everything you have done in my life.
PRAYER
God, help me meditate on your word, so I shall speak truth to myself, and I will remember and relive all the grace, mercy, and love you have granted me in my life. Help me to see life through your eyes, so that my security and assurance is in you. Let my yoke be light, so I don’t carry the burdens that you already carried for me. Help me live leisurely in the security and peace of your dwelling place. Help me be who you created me to be, that I may live the life you intended for me.
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