The Candid Christian

Reading Deuteronomy 1 and 2 felt like sitting in on a reflective leadership meeting. Moses is recounting the journey — the victories, the fears, the rebellion, the consequences.

And honestly, I found myself asking deeper questions.

What does it really mean for God to carry me? What does it mean to follow Him heart and soul? And what does it mean when Scripture says God turned someone’s spirit mean and their heart hard?

Let’s walk through this together.

Deuteronomy 1: When God Carries Us but We Still Don’t Trust

“You saw what he did for you in Egypt… how God, your God, carried you as a father carries his child…” (Deut. 1:31, MSG)

This imagery stopped me.

What Does It Mean for God to Carry Me?

To be carried means:

• Protection without striving
• Provision without panic
• Guidance without confusion
• Strength when you don’t have your own

A father carrying a child implies:

• The child is dependent.
• The father is strong.
• The destination is secure.

But here’s what struck me:

God carried them the whole way — yet when they arrived at the threshold of promise, they didn’t trust Him.

How often does that happen in our lives?

We trust God in crisis.

We trust Him in wilderness seasons.

But when we get close to promise, suddenly fear becomes louder than memory.

Following God “Heart and Soul” — What Does That Mean?

Caleb stood out again.

“He was all for following God, heart and soul.” (Deut. 1:36, MSG)

To follow God heart and soul means:

• Wholehearted obedience
• No half-trust.
• No selective surrender.
• No private rebellion.

It means:

• Your heart is aligned.
• Your soul is submitted.
• Your will is yielded.

Caleb wasn’t fearless.

He was convinced.

And conviction will always outlive fear.

Deuteronomy 2: When God Turns a Heart Hard

“God… turned his spirit mean and his heart hard…” (Deut. 2:30, MSG)

This is heavy.

It reminds us that God is not just merciful — He is sovereign.

What Does It Mean When God Hardens a Heart?

Biblically, hardening often happens after repeated resistance.

It is:

• God confirming someone in the direction they’ve already chosen.
• Judgment after persistent rebellion.
• Divine permission for consequences to unfold.

The most famous example is Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. His heart was hardened after repeated refusal to obey God.

Other examples include:

• King Saul — after repeated disobedience, God removed His Spirit from him (1 Samuel 16).
• Sihon — in Deuteronomy 2.
• In the New Testament, Romans 1 speaks of God “giving people over” to their desires after persistent rejection.

Hardening is not random.

It is judicial.

And it’s sobering.

What I’m Personally Sitting With

1. Have I forgotten how God has carried me before?
2. Am I following Him heart and soul — or selectively?
3. Is there any area where I am resisting so consistently that my heart is becoming hard?

Deuteronomy 1 & 2 are not just historical retellings.

They are leadership lessons.

Faith lessons.

Trust lessons.

They remind me:

• Memory fuels faith.
• Partial obedience delays promise.
• God’s sovereignty is both comforting and sobering.

And maybe the biggest takeaway:

God carries us — but He won’t force us to trust Him.