Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever had your mom, a boss, or a teacher say, "I need you to remember this. Out of all the things I've just said, I need you to remember this." Moses is communicating like that in our Verse of the Day today.
It's Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse 39. It says, "'So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.""
Remember God's Unique Power
Moses is exhorting the children of Israel. He wanted them to remember God's unique power. He had led them out of Egypt. They experienced the plagues, the gnats, and the frogs. They had seen God's incredible power, and Moses is telling them, "Hey, I need you to remember this. I want you to remember this, because now I want you to be faithful, because you're entering a land that's full of many gods." Polytheism—the worship of many gods—was everywhere. Moses essentially tells the people of Israel, tells us by way of application, to remember two truths about God.
God's Sovereignty Is Comprehensive
Number one, God's sovereignty is comprehensive. I remember being in class—I used to love comprehensive tests because if you didn't study early on in class, you could hopefully pull off the comprehensive exam. God's sovereignty, His power and control are absolutely comprehensive. He says right there again, "The LORD is God both in heaven and on earth." God is not some God in space with no relevance. He's not some pie in the sky God. He's in heaven somewhere. He's God. He's boss. He's in control. He is sovereign over heaven and earth. We obviously have a president. We have world leaders. But here God is sovereign over the heavens and the earth. He's basically the boss.
I love what author and writer Abraham Kuyper once said about the sovereignty of God. He said this: "There is not a square inch in the whole human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry 'Mine!'" God's in control over everything.
God's Identity Is Unrivaled
Second, God's identity is unrivaled. God has no other rivals, no replacements, no equals. After Jesus Christ died, over 500 people saw Him after He had died. He rose from the dead. Then He came and people saw Him, proving the veracity, how He had control over life and over death. The Bible says in Exodus chapter 20, verse 3, "You shall have no other gods before Me." Isaiah chapter 45, verse 5 says, "I am the LORD. There is no other. Besides me, there is no other God."
What Do We Do with This?
What do we do with this passage? Number one, remember how great God is. Remember how great God is. Spiritual erosion comes from forgetting. Psalm chapter 115, verse 1 says, "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory because of Your love and faithfulness." You know, one writer said this: "There is no rival to God, only impostors."
Secondly, and finally, live like God controls everything because He does. He is sovereign over the heavens and the earth. He is in control of everything. He can handle your busted marriage. He can handle the conflict in your life. He can handle the boyfriend-girlfriend situation. He can handle the conflict at work. He controls everything. Let's live like Jesus Christ controls everything. Because He does.