Deuteronomy: The Book Not the Monkey
I have something kind of embarrassing to admit. When I was a little kid, I got this stuffed monkey on a family trip and for whatever reason, I named him Deuteronomy, or Deut for short.
Deut went everywhere with me through my childhood, followed me to college, and yes, still resides in our house today (although he is now missing an eye, thanks to our dog, and spends more time in our kids’ toy bin than anywhere of importance).
I’d like to say that from a young age I was a deep theological thinker which is why I chose that name, but in reality, I just liked the word.
Now fast forward to today, and I find myself still very much loving Deuteronomy, although this time I mean the book of the Bible, not a monkey. It’s a book I have been finding myself in lately, taking a slow walk through it’s chapters. And although it’s a book, like much of the Old Testament, that can seem harsh and unrelatable at times, I think it is full of God’s kindness to his people.
The Israelites spent so much time complaining and being disobedient, and yet, we see God’s kindness to them throughout the beginning of Deuteronomy. Yes, they wandered in the desert for their disobedience, but he never left them. He guided them with fire and clouds. He provided manna and water. He even warned them not to go up against certain people groups because they would lose. Yes, they had to walk through the wilderness, but he protected them, he went before them, he carried them. As I have been reading through it, I have been struck with the ways that kindness shows up unexpectedly.
And isn’t that so often true in our own lives? I usually want kindness to look like me getting exactly what I hoped for or what I think I deserve. I’d rather it be dispensed easily instead of through hardship, and I am willing to bet I am not alone in this. When things happen outside of my control (which, who am I kidding, is always), my first instinct is not typically to see where I can find the Lord’s kindness in it. But one thing Deuteronomy has been teaching me is to at least stop and look. Throughout this book, with all of it’s commands and rules, we see that our obedience matters. So whether it’s a passage I have read that is particularly hard to swallow or something that is actually happening in my own life, I am learning to stop and ask two questions:
What do I know to be true about God?
What does obedience look like in this?
Asking these two questions helps me to reorient my perspective and see God’s goodness in the wilderness. I can look back and catalog all the times God’s loving kindness covered me and my family when everything felt unstable. For some of those, I don’t even have to look back that far. In seasons that felt heavy and moments where things were far from how I’d have preferred them, I can see how God was growing my trust in him. I can look at my paint-swatch sized view and remember that he created the mural.
As a church, we have walked through a lot of uncertainty and change in the last two years. But, what do we know to be true about God? He is kind and good and faithful. He doesn’t leave us or forsake us. And what does obedience look like for us as a church moving forward? I think it looks a lot less like “What should I do next, God?” and more like “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…. And love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) More like displaying love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control in our everyday moments. More like “do all things without grumbling or arguing.” (Philippians 2:14)
“Our obedience matters, not because we serve a God who wants to rule us like a tyrant, but because we serve a God who is much bigger and much more loving than we could possibly fathom.”
Our obedience matters, not because we serve a God who wants to rule us like a tyrant, but because we serve a God who is much bigger and much more loving than we could possibly fathom. Our obedience, in these everyday, mundane moments, builds our trust in him. And that trust deepens as we remember who he is and what he has already done for us. That trust brings us to a place where, even in the midst of hardship or uncertainty, we can see his kindness at work in the details. Moses recognized the Lord’s kindness towards his people and he trusted his goodness even though they were still wandering.
So do you see now what I love about the book of Deuteronomy? It reminds me, “Even when I am in the wilderness, I can be confident the Promise Land is still ahead.”
Laura Hunt is the Nursery and Preschool Coordinator at Summit Orlando. You can contact her at lhunt@summitconnect.org.