What is the "Kingdom of Heaven"? Or, we might ask, "What is it for you?" Gold streets? Oh yeah! Great food? Alright! Tons of fun? Super!

When I thought, “My foot slips,” Your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul. (Psa 94:18-19)

When I thought, "My foot slips," Your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. (Psalm 94:18)

This prophetic indictment of Israel continues to guide us today.

These verses, at the end of Deuteronomy, are a prophetic indictment of Israel. They see into a future where Israel has not received God’s grace, walked in His light, or done His will; they would not serve Him, and they reap the consequences.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Our journey of devotionals through Deuteronomy 1-2 is coming to a close.

Deuteronomy 2:25 “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

Remember how, when God brought Israel to the edge of the Promised-Land, they sent in scouts who returned with a message that filled Israel with “dread and fear”? (1:28-29)

God brought Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land—just like He brings us out of sin and death and to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son. But Israel didn’t want to go in! In consequence, they turned and wandered the wilderness for “many days.”

The Lord told the people to “see…go in and take possession” of God's blessings. But they were afraid. Despite Moses’ arguments, they refused. God sent them back to wander in the wilderness.

"And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it." (Deut 1:39)

First, “the LORD was angry and swore: ‘Not one of these shall see the good land’.” (vv. 34-35)

 Previously we’ve heard from Moses how the Lord had called the people to journey into the Promised Land (1:7). They were to “see…go in and take possession” of God's blessings.

Previously we’ve heard from Moses how the Lord had called the people to journey into the Promised Land (1:7). They were to “see…go in and take possession” of God's blessings.

Previously we’ve heard from Moses how the Lord had called the people to journey out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land (1:7). They were to “see…go in and take possession” of the blessings God had promised them.

But... Moses says twice here at the beginning of Deuteronomy, “I can’t bear you…” (vv. 9, 12)

Deuteronomy 1:11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you!  

This is the first devotional in a short series on Deuteronomy 1-2.

The Gospel says in a painfully straightforward way that all that we desire, long for, dream about, and work to acquire or achieve or accomplish--in short, what every fiber of our being pulls toward and every moment of our life is devoted to--we miss.