“POWERFUL AND LOVING”
OUR DAILY BREAD READING (Published Daily by Our Daily Bread Ministries)
READ: Deuteronomy 4 (Focus vs. 5–8 &11–14)
MEMORY VERSE
“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.” Deuteronomy 4:11
BACKGROUND
In 2020, the Ecuadorian volcano Sangay erupted. The BBC described the “dark ash plume which reached a height of more than 12,000 m.” The discharge covered four provinces (about 198,000 acres) in gray ash and grimy soot.
The sky turned dingy and grim, and the air was thick—making it difficult to breathe. Farmer Feliciano Inga described the unnerving scene to El Comercio newspaper: “We didn’t know where all this dust was coming from. . . .We saw the sky go dark and grew afraid.”
The Israelites experienced a similar fear at the base of Mount Sinai, as they “stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire . . . with black clouds and deep darkness” (Deuteronomy 4:11).
God’s voice thundered, and the people trembled. It was terrifying. It’s an awesome, knee-buckling experience to encounter the living God.
“Then the LORD spoke,” and they “heard the sound of words but saw no form” (v. 12).
The voice that rattled their bones provided life and hope. God gave Israel the Ten Commandments and renewed His covenant with them. The voice from the dark cloud caused them to quake, but also wooed and loved them with tenacity (Exodus 34:6–7).
God is powerful, beyond our reach, even startling. And yet He’s also full of love, always reaching out to us. A God both powerful and loving—this is who we desperately need.
By: Winn Collier
INSIGHT
The book of Deuteronomy concludes the five books of Moses (also known as Torah or the Pentateuch). The word deuteronomy means “second law,” which describes the contents of the book—a second telling of the law Israel had received at Mount Sinai (see Exodus 20).
This was important because forty years had passed since those days at the base of Sinai. The generation who’d received the law and accepted it had died during their years of wandering in the wilderness.
Now a new generation of Israelites stood at the threshold of the land God had promised them. Therefore, it was imperative that the law be reaffirmed as preparation for their entry into the land.
By: Bill Crowder
APPLICATION
When has an encounter with God made you tremble? How did He also communicate love?
PR’s (PASTOR RICHARD) TAKE
“It’s not about finding ways to avoid God’s judgment (because of His power) and feeling like a failure if you don’t do everything perfectly. It’s about fully experiencing God’s love and letting it perfect you…” Stormie Omaritan
PR’s RE-EMPHASIS (My Re-Emphasis from Post)
“It’s an awesome, knee-buckling experience to encounter the living God…God is powerful, beyond our reach, even startling. And yet He’s also full of love, always reaching out to us.”
*YOUR TAKE? 
PRAYER
God, at times I’ve approached You too casually, assumed too much. Thank You for Your patience with me. And thank You for Your love.
TODAY’s HYMN/WORSHIP/PRAISE/GOSPEL SONG
“STAND IN AWE” HILLSONG
Better than all this world
Better than all I know
Better than life itself
Your love is
All that I have is Yours
All that I’m living for
All that I need is You Lord
READING THROUGH THE BIBLE THIS YEAR (THIS WEEK)
THE BOOK OF II KINGS 8-14
THE BOOK OF I CORINTHIANS 1-8
Cause You alone are better than life
Than anything in this world
Cause You alone are all that I want
In everything You are good
I stand in awe of all that You are
I stand in awe of You
Everything unto You
Everything held by You
All of our hope is in You Jesus
Nothing compares to You
Nothing will take Your place
All of our trust is in You Lord
Cause You alone are better than life
Than anything in this world
Cause You alone are all that I want
In everything You are good
I stand in awe of all that You are
I stand in awe of You
Cause You alone are better than life
Than anything in this world
Cause You alone are all that I want
In everything You are good
I stand in awe of all that You are
I stand in awe of You
All of my heart
All that I am
Worship Jesus
Cause You alone are better than life
Than anything in this world
Cause You alone are all that I want
In everything You are good
I stand in awe of all that You are
I stand in awe of all that You are
I stand in awe …