Getting older is wonderful... in some ways.
Most of us are maturing as we grow, and with that our relationship with God is deepening.
I'm not the same young, hotheaded girl with a chip on her shoulder anymore. But with age comes other changes. In some ways I'm wiser and in others so very forgetful. I find myself needing notes and lists to remember, and even then, at times I still forget. And then as an aging woman, hormones come into play and that's a whole new list of things to deal with, adding to my growing forgetfulness. And one of the most awful parts....
That one hair above my lip. You know the one. It's decided to become coarse and slightly discolored. Just one. Not different enough for anyone else to notice but enough for me to feel it and see it randomly in just the right light.
And every time I see it I pluck it out from the root. Sometimes it takes months for it to appear again, and I pluck it again but sometimes I forget. I forget that it was there.
I forget how easily and quickly it comes back.
And then I'll catch it in just the right light at the most inopportune moment and freak out.
And this, my friend.... is exactly why we need these lists of rules and reminders in Deuteronomy.
Because we forget how to act. We forget how to live. And then we catch ourselves in the right light and realize whoa, that's not right. That's what Deuteronomy 24–25 and pretty much most of the book is. It's not random rules. It's God holding up a mirror, A light, A reminder.
Because left to ourselves, we drift. We don't usually wake up one day and decide, I'm going to treat people poorly today.
No it's slower than that. We start cutting corners, get a little less patient, start to justify our attitudes and we forget what God brought us out of. Then before we know it something's grown back that we thought we dealt with.
God starts talking about things like how you treat people in relationships, how you handle money and business, how you respond to the vulnerable and how you carry responsibility
It all feels so specific But that's the point.
Living Holy isn't just about the big moments. It's in the small, everyday decisions. And then He keeps saying "Remember you were slaves in Egypt." In other words Don't forget who you were when I found you. Don't forgetthe grace you needed, the patience you were given and how messy your story was. Because when we forget that we become harsh with others where God was gentle with us.
And that part about dishonest weights... Whew. That's not just about business. It's also about how we measure people. We are pretty good at giving ourselves understanding and others criticism. We excuse our own tone but call out theirs. We want mercy but struggle to give it.
That's uneven.And God says, that's not his way.
Let me say it like this.. .
That little hair, It didn't show up overnight.
It came back slowly and unnoticed, until the light hit it just right. And that's how these things in us work too.
Our Attitudes, our Pride, our Impatience our Hardness... They creep back in until God's Word hits us in the right light and we go "Wait when did that get there?"
So today isn't about shame. It's about awareness. It's about letting God shine the light and asking ourselves...
🌟 What has crept back in that I thought I dealt with?
🌟 Where have I been using uneven weights?
🌟 Have I forgotten the grace God gave me?
🌟 Am I treating people in a way that reflects Him?
And when He shows it, don't ignore it.
Pluck it! Deal with it at the root!
⚓️ Anchor Scripture
Deuteronomy 25:15 (NLT)
"You must use accurate scales and weights"
The goal isn't perfection.
It's staying aware enough to let God keep refining you. Even in the small things. Especially in the small things!
Love Pastor Mandy
Ark of Hope Ministry
Daily reading Deuteronomy 25-25
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