Deuteronomy 32:28-33 - Cultivating a discerning walk

The children of Israel clearly had the advantage of having God on their side. But they had chosen to spurn His kind overtures. So in Deuteronomy 32:28-33, God assessed them as a people who lack wisdom and discernment. With all that was at their disposal, they could have a terrific life. Sadly, for all the blessings at their disposal, they would rather choose senselessly to take a path that led to misery. Hence, they had shown themselves as a people lacking counsel and understanding. If they had been wise, they would have chosen to stay faithful to God and rightly appraised their future.

What were they thinking? How foolish they were? Didn’t they know that without God they could never experience success?  They could have easily defeated their enemies had they chosen to stay faithful to God. They would have no need to experience a single score of defeat if they had not departed from God because of their unfaithfulness to Him. Without God, they were powerless to deal with their opponents. They should have realized that from their past successful encounters, but they obviously had not.  

Deuteronomy 32:31 refers to the gods of the heathens. They also have gods whom they trusted, but they were not as rock-solid as the God of Israel. The enemies who had tasted defeat by the God of Israel knew. Yet God’s chosen people were so oblivious. It seemed incongruent that Israel could be defeated if their God, the Rock, was mightier than the gods of the enemies. Deuteronomy 32:32-33 provide the reason. It was because Israel, the true vine, had departed from the Lord and corrupted themselves. In their corruption, they had become vines from Sodom and Gomorrah. Having departed from the Lord, they had become like the abominable venoms of snakes. In choosing to emulate the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, they became vile and corrupt and were destined for destruction.   

Discernment is a discipline we all need to cultivate in our walk with God.  We are called not only to discern right from wrong but also to discern what is right from what is almost right. How to walk with discernment? Here are five principles to help us walk discerningly:

By deepening our relationship with God. When we know God better, we have a keener ability to make God-pleasing decisions.

By praying for wisdom to discern. In James 1:5 we are invited to ask God for it, “…if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

By keeping God’s Word. According to Hebrews  4:12, “…the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

By trusting the Holy Spirit to lead. First Thessalonians 5:19 says, ^“Do not quench the Spirit.” Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truths.

By seeking godly counsel. Proverbs 15:22 tells us that “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed”.