The Lighthouse Devotional
Author: Annette Quintyne
SCRIPTURE VERSE
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut 31:8 NIV).
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Almighty God Himself knows where He wants us to go. He goes before us, preparing the way, yet He is with us at the same time. He is not leaving us behind, and He is encouraging us to go with Him bravely and confidently where He leads. God knows that there will be obstacles along the way that may cause us to fear and lose confidence; hence, His words of assurance and encouragement—words we can trust.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Deuteronomy 31:8 concludes the strategic instructions God gives to Israel in preparation for the remainder of their journey without Moses to the promised land. Joshua will be their new leader, and this concluding verse of the paragraph reinforces information given earlier on.
Moses emphasizes to Joshua in the presence of all Israel that the Lord, Himself, will go before them (31:3, 8). He is the same God who brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the wilderness to this very moment in time. God reveals His strategy for their success in taking possession of the promised land, and He reassures them that He, the God with whom they have had a long relationship: (i) knows the way; (ii) leads the way; (iii) prepares the way; (iv) will accompany them all the way; and (v) instructs them to follow His commands bravely and confidently (31:3–8).
EXHORTATION
Knowing God means trusting Him and His Word willingly, fearlessly, and confidently because He will never forsake us (Ps 9:10; Prov 3:5). Let us, therefore, grasp the essence of Deut 31: 8—reading, studying, trusting, and applying it to our lives because it reveals God’s character, His will, and the path He has prepared for us. Let us follow Him obediently, for His Word is life-changing, and it gives light to our darkness, illuminating the way that He leads us yet being with us each step of the way. His Word is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path (Ps 119:105).
PRAYER
Almighty God, Your Word reveals that You are trustworthy and that You will be with us until we reach the destination You have prepared for us. Lord God, help us to trust You so that we willingly and enthusiastically obey and follow You because You know the way. Help us to study your Word to learn more about You and Your will. Use Your Word to accomplish Your will in our lives. Thank you, Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.