Final Message

 What are the words of wisdom you would want to leave with those you know?

Deuteronomy 1:1-46

Reference:  v.31  "There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (NIV Bible)

Explore:  What would you say to your friends, family and colleagues if you knew you only had a few months to live?  Maybe this is one of those questions that you really couldn't answer unless you were in the situation, but it's interesting to think about.  What are the words of wisdom you would want to leave with those you know?  Moses was in that situation as he came to the end of leading the Israelites through the desert.  He knew that he was not going to enter in to the Promised Land with them but wanted to impart some final knowledge upon them before he passed away.  And so he wrote Deuteronomy.

Application:  Moses' final message to the Israelites was to remind them not to forget God.  He brings up times in the past when God has brought them out of impossible situations, he jogs their memory to the laws that have helped them keep peace within their community and he insists on them to not forget God by relying on their own strength.  I think he's picked a winner of a theme to leave with the Israelites.  Sure enough not all of them followed his instructions but even today, thousands of years later, the encouragement from Moses to never forget God is important for us to hear.

Prayer:  Lord, You carry us through many difficult situations and yet when times are good we tend to rely on our own strengths and abilities.  May we never forget You.  Amen.

What would your final message to the world be?

Deuteronomy