“We never reach a moment when our experience of God’s love is complete.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 24, 2024
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. Deuteronomy 18:9, NLT
Though much could be said about the call in Deuteronomy 18 to holy living, set apart from the broken and bent ways of the surrounding culture, I’d instead like to focus on the opening phrase of verse 9 and the reference to “the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
In many ways, it is easy to think of what God has done in the past or what we hope for in the future, with little thought given to what he’s doing in the present. When we fall prey to this way of thinking, we can adopt a view of God’s “default” activity as one of inactivity. Something happened in the past that roused him from his slumber and caused him to intervene, only to then return to his previous state of being. Or, we sense his absence or wonder if he is working in this moment, and so we look ahead to the future when he (hopefully!) will one day act again. Neither of these points us in the direction of truth, for each downplays the current and continuous nature of God’s presence in our midst.
The Promised Land was neither a distant part of Israel’s story nor an isolated future hope. Even when it wasn’t fully realized, God was at work, moving them ever closer and more fully into the realization of this promise. It was “the land the Lord your God is giving you.” What is God actively and presently giving to you, not as a one-off gift but as the ever-deepening and expanding experience of his mercy and love?
Since God’s love is inexhaustible, we never reach a moment when our experience of his love is complete. To be more precise, though he holds nothing back in his rescue mission of love, our ability to receive his love will only deepen and grow for all of eternity. As such, to say “God is giving” may be the truest statement of reality that any one of us can make! God is giving himself eternally, and we encounter this gift every moment of every day, forever and ever. May he give us eyes to see it and hearts that are capable of growing in their response to his love.
Prayer
Father, remind us afresh today that you are always working, inviting us deeper and higher into the life of your kingdom, we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Reflect further upon this question: In the particular details of your life and story, what is God actively giving to you in this season?
Related Reading
John 17:3; Ephesians 1:3-4; James 1:17
Worship Resource
The Worship Initiative: Goodness of God
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