Revision

S: Deuteronomy 1–2

1:2–3a Normally it only takes 11 days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. But 40 years after the Israelites left Egypt…

1:31 You saw how Yahweh your God cared for you … just as a father cares for his child.

2:7 Yahweh your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

O: The book of Deuteronomy in Malay is called Ulangan, which is also the same word we use for “revision” — as in revising for an upcoming exam.

This whole book is meant to remind the Israelites of what had happened in the past: the 40 years of wandering in the desert on a journey that normally takes only 11 days. It reminds them why it took 40 years, even though God cared for them as a father cares for his child.

Elsewhere in Scripture, we read many times that God had the Israelites build memorials to remind them of what had happened in the past.

As the former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir often said, “Melayu mudah lupa” — which literally means “Malays forget easily.” But in reality, it’s not just Malays; all people forget easily.

So often, when we find ourselves in times of trouble, we forget the blessings that God has bestowed upon us in the past. When we face temptation, we forget how God taught us to live. Just as students fail exams without revision, believers wander away if they don’t remember God’s blessings.

We know, but we don’t know. We forget.

A: That’s why we need to revise — to remember what God has done before and what He has called us to.
We need to remind ourselves daily of God’s goodness and God’s calling on our lives, renewing our love for Him in response to His love for us.

Daily prayer, daily Bible reading, and other spiritual disciplines keep Jesus at the forefront of our hearts and minds, shaping our thoughts and actions toward “What Would Jesus Do?”

P: Father, thank You for all You have done for us. May I be continually reminded of Your love and respond in love and action. Help me not just to remember but also to live out Your Word, so that others too may see Your faithfulness through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.