Sunday, September 20, 2020 - when we try to make plans

Theme: Waking Up to God - Moses: when we try to make plans

Prayer

Deuteronomy 1:19-22                                                     Common English Bible Translation

We left Horeb and journeyed through that vast and terrifying desert you saw, on the way to the hills of the Amorites, exactly as the Lord our God commanded us. Then we arrived at Kadesh-barnea. I said to you: You have come to the hills of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving to us. Look! The Lord your God has laid out the land before you. Go up and take it, just as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be frightened! Then all of you approached me, saying, “Let’s send spies ahead of us – they can check out the land for us. Then they can return with word about the route we should use and bring a report about the cities that we’ll be entering.” (Question: Have you ever altered plans because of fear?)

Deuteronomy 1:23-25

This idea seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men, one from each tribe. These set out and went up into the hills, going as far as the Cluster ravine. They walked all around that area. They took some of the land’s fruit and then came back down to us. They reported to us: “The land that the Lord our God is giving to us is wonderful!” (Question: Have you felt like you had the most amazing plan and couldn’t wait to see it through?)

Deuteronomy 1:26-28

But you weren’t willing to go up. You rejected the Lord your God’s instruction. You complained in your tents, saying things like, “The Lord hates us! That’s why he brought us out of Egypt – to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us! What are we doing? Our brothers have made our hearts sick by saying, ‘People far stronger and much taller than we live there, and the cities are huge, with walls sky-high! Worse still, we saw the descendants of the Anakites there!’” (Question: Have you ever experienced a plan that you liked falling apart?)

Deuteronomy 1:29-33

But I said to you: Don’t be terrified! Don’t be afraid of them! The Lord your God is going before you. He will fight for you just as he fought for you in Egypt while you watched, and as you saw him do in the desert. Throughout your entire journey, until you reached this very place, the Lord your God has carried you just as a parent carries a child. But you had no faith in the Lord your God about this matter, even though he went ahead of you, scouting places where you should camp, in fire by night, so you could see the road you were taking, and in cloud during the daytime. (Question: Have we ever let our fear keep us from something good?)

Deuteronomy 1:34-38

The Lord heard what you said. He was angry and he swore: Not even one of these people – this wicked generation! – will see the wonderful land that I promised to give to your ancestors. The only exception is Caleb, Jephunneh’s son. He will see it. I will give the land he walked on to him and his children for this reason: he was completely devoted to the Lord. The Lord was even 

angry with me because of what you did. “You won’t enter the land either,” God said. “But Nun’s son Joshua, your assistant, will enter it. Strengthen him because he’s the one who will help Israel inherit the land.” (Question: What has been some of the most difficult consequences you have had to face?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

There Is a Balm in Gilead

Open My Eyes, That I May See

Fear is a Liar – Zach Williams

Starting Over – Chris Stapleton

Dead Wrong – The Fray

Quote by Thich Nhat Hanh

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”

Quote by Roseanne Cash

“The key to change… is to let go of fear.”

Quote by Queen Latifah

“Fear is not good when you have a goal and you’re fearful of obstacles. We often get trapped by our fears, but anyone who has had success has failed before.”