DEUTERONOMY 30

I found it curious that, in this chapter, Moses almost seems to prophesy that the Israelites will turn away from God: "When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you." (vs 1-3)

At first, that didn’t seem very nice. Right before the people are to go into the Promised Land, Moses is basically saying, "You’re going to wander away, because we all know you’re not that faithful. However, when you come back, God will treat you as if you never left." Well, it may not be what the people wanted to hear, but one thing’s for sure: we know that’s a true description of God, because it’s just how Jesus described Him in the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. The father treated the runaway son as if he had never left home.

God has always been that way, and God is still that way. This means that, when it comes to God, we don’t have to wait until January 1 to get a new year, a fresh start. We can have one every day. We can have one every minute, if necessary. God is ready and waiting with His pile of blessings to give us a Happy New Year anytime we want. So, let’s not spend one more minute in the land of the curses! God’s arms are open, and He is longing for us to come home. If you need a New Year today, you got it!