OT Fire Starters – Day 80: Deuteronomy 22-24

READ: Deuteronomy 22-24

THINK: Do you have a drive to succeed? Are you willing to work to get ahead? Do you prefer to come out on top? While God wants you to work hard and succeed-and He enables you to do so-He doesn’t want you to do it in the world’s way. Too often, people get ahead at the expense of others. In their quest to reach the top, they trample people along the way. But God’s people don’t need to resort to these tactics to succeed. God is perfectly capable of getting you where you need to be without compromising your integrity. While many folks feel they have a right to take advantage of any situation just because they can, God rejects that reasoning. He wants you to show the same consideration for others that He shows to you, and He wants you to trust Him to bring real success.

RESPOND: According to this passage, how should we show consideration for others (22:1-4)? Why were there laws about mixing two kinds of material, seed, working animals, etc., and what did they illustrate (22:9-12)? (See Leviticus 19:19 note.) Why does God take sexual purity so seriously? (See 22:17 note.) What responsibility do parents have in this regard, and what can they do to promote sexual purity in their children and families? Why do you think God gave specific regulations about cleanliness? Why must God’s followers be cautious about making vows and promises (23:21-23)? (See Numbers 30:1 note.) Why did God make concessions for divorce, and under what conditions was it permissible? (See 24:1 note.) How did God’s law keep people from taking advantage of one another? What regulations did God give to prevent a creditor from denying someone’s ability to make a living or care for basic needs (23:6,10-15)? What special considerations did God make for the poor, needy or disadvantaged (24:17-22)?

PRAY: Ask God to give you the strength, discipline and discretion to avoid temptation and stay sexually pure. Pray that you’ll always demonstrate compassion and consideration for others so they can see Jesus in you.

ACT: Show uncommon consideration and kindness to everyone you’re around today. Do your best to help people and put their concerns ahead of your own, as long as this doesn’t cause you to compromise your integrity. Also, avoid anything that could lead to sexually impure thoughts or sensually inappropriate behavior. This includes how you talk, what you look at, where you go and the things you do.