“Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God has cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that He may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Deuteronomy 9:4-5).

I’ve been reading through Deuteronomy in my morning Bible reading time. I have loved the Old Testament since I was a very young man. Don’t misunderstand me. I love living in the New Testament era of the church, but I glean so much from reading the entire Bible. There is enough material in these two verses to keep us thinking and learning for a long time. Here are a few things to think about. First, we need to have a right view of ourselves. Second, the Lord possesses everything. When He desires to remove people from prominence, He easily can do this. Third, God is infinitely holy. Wickedness does bring about consequences. Last, God indeed keeps His Word. I don’t know about you, but I need to remember all of these things today.

For today: Pray much for little Israel. God has great things in store for them.