Scripture: Deuteronomy 17.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (NLT)

18 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.

19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.

20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

God was preparing the Israelites for their entry into their new country, The Promised Land. God knew that they would probably want a king, so He gave them explicit instructions about how this man must be one of them, but then He also told them how important it was for the king to know the Word of God. This would be accomplished by writing it out onto a scroll, an awesome task, but then he was supposed to read the Word of God daily. Now we hear a lot about this today from our pastors, but I want to draw your attention to the reasons why this king was to do this, because this also applies to us today friends:

1. As he learnt the Word, he would follow in obedience to its terms and instructions;
   
2. It would teach him humility, and stop him from becoming proud and feeling like he was better than, or above his fellow citizens;
   
3. It would give him guidance and be a constant reminder to help him avoid disobedience to God’s commands in even the slightest way;
   
4. It would give him and his descendants longevity in their jobs – governing the people.
   

Friends, I don’t know about you, but this gives a renewed reason for studying God’s Word. It really impacts our lives and our whole outlook on life – the reason for our existence. We fall into such a routine each day, but when we are pumped up by the Word of God and allow it to impact our lives in these powerful ways, life becomes so much more worthwhile and impactful to others. Remember, all of this begins with daily reading and studying of the Word of God. If you are not already doing this, I urge you to make this a priority in your day. At the end of each day when you failed to do this, always say that “it was not a priority to me today”, and not say the usual “I just didn’t have time”!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, I have always felt the importance of reading Your Word. Thank You for showing me the reasons why this daily reading is so important. Please help me to continue to make this a priority in my day, so that I may be obedient to it; be humbled by it, be guided by it and that I and my family may be blessed with longevity in our jobs – all for Your ultimate glory and praise! Thank You Father for Your precious Word!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**