Deuteronomy 30:1
“So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you.”
Banished to a foreign land; removed from the land promised long ago. Why would The Lord do this? The contract had been broken. Instead of allowing that one to live in error, God seeks restoration. Banishment from the land is one way to get one’s attention.
Another way that God gets our attention is an empty heart. The Hebrews sinned in the wilderness and were punished with a sense of hollowness. Psalm 106:15 refers to this, “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”
The Lord will do similar things to us when we stray from Him. If we are openly sinning, we are spoken to by someone caring. If we ignore that, then we are approached by several. If we ignore them, then we are on our own (Matthew 18:15-17). This is a type of banishment.
Few of us do things that rise to the level of being banished. However, as we walk with The Lord we will ignore His voice on occasion. It feels like the awkwardness of those that have been in a fight. If we continue to ignore it, we may feel the emptiness referred to earlier.
The norm for a christian is to have a heart full of joy. Psalm 23:5 speaks of the blessings that He seeks to give us. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” He seeks to fill our hearts and our lives. When we walk in disobedience, this begins to disappear. It’s as if we are banishing ourselves.
Lord, help us to stay on Your path. Thanks for Your reminders and Your attempts to keep us close to You. Help us to have a listening heart.