Scripture:
Deuteronomy 8:1-20 NKJV
[1] “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. [2] And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. [3] So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. [4] Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. [5] You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. [6] “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. [7] For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; [8] a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; [9] a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. [10] When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. [11] “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, [12] lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; [13] and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; [14] when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; [15] who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; [16] who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— [17] then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ [18] “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. [19] Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. [20] As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.
Observation:
I really wanted to write about 1st Timothy chapter 3 this morning, but as I was digging in I felt impressed to look at the book of Deuteronomy, when I did it was clear to me why the LORD brought me to the 8th chapter. I know that we are looking at a full chapter and diving in for details might be a little difficult with the time we have, but I’m going to do my best. This chapter is a speech given by Moses to the Israelites. After all they had been through, he wanted to make sure once they entered into the promised land that they didn’t forget how they got there. Telling them that following the commandments with a cheerful heart is the key. Looking at verses 2 through 5 discuss the process that took place through their time in the wilderness. Moses brings this to their mind so they can see how the LORD had tested their hearts and humbled them. Allowing them to go through it brought them to the point of looking up. The mana that was provided. The fact that their clothes never wore out i love the way that verse 3 is stated, “So HE humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with mana which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that HE might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Let’s just look at that statement for a second. Look at the rules that were behind the manna. You could only gather what you needed for that day, and if you gathered more. The maggots would eat it by morning. HE was teaching them dependency, teaching them to listen to what HE said, the point was to listen to the LORD’S voice. The 40 years in the wilderness were a training process. Knowing how easy it would be once they came into the land of promise, Moses felt it necessary to them about that dependency. Looking at verses 6 through 10 we see the promise being spoken over them again. The LORD was bringing them into a land that had more than enough. The kind of provision that needed to be stewarded the right way, not forgetting how they got it. It was the kind of provision they were not used to, water, figs, barley, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. It was a land that would have more than they could ever need. As we see in verse 9, eating “bread without scarcity” and “lacking nothing” but verse 10 is important to look at, “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your GOD for the good land which HE has given you.” The entire message is wrapped up in the next several verses. It’s a warning. We can tell that by the first first word in verse 11 “BEWARE” I think it’s easy to see that what follows is something that needs our attention. GOD knew how easy it would be to forget about HIM once they had more than they needed. So HE was saying “DON’T FORGET HOW YOU GOT HERE,” once you realize what you have and where you are, houses, herds, flocks, silver, and gold, everything you could imagine. The memories of captivity slowly fading. Not to mention how they were delivered from it. Zeroing in on verse 17 is a necessity, “Then you will say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” I know it’s easy to see what is being said in this chapter. It’s said over and over. It’s so important to pay attention to. Verse 19 says so much. Forgetting the LORD only leads to other gods. All those years of training and dependency needs to take root. Hearing the voice of GOD and heading what is said. It can all go away by forgetting how you got to where you are at.
Application:
I can’t tell you how many times in the past 16 years that this scripture has come to life for me. It seems that when we have a desperate need for GOD it’s easy to look up, but once it seems like we have gotten what we need we tend to forget about HIM. All the years I spent on the streets I never went hungry. I can’t say it wasn’t hard, but as I look back I can see how the LORD provided for every need that I had. After several years of having everything that I needed it was easy to get complacent, saying things like, “maybe I don’t need to read the bible today” or “I think I’m just going to sleep in, it’s Sunday and I have been going all week, we all need rest right.” Complacency in our relationship with the LORD is dangerous. I have seen it time and time again. Being intentional in our pursuit of the LORD is a necessity. It was HIS hand that got us to where we are. HE brought us out of addiction, HE has healed our hearts, HE has brought us into a place where we have more than we need. That’s not something we can afford to forget. I think about Lucifer, he had it all. But his pride made him forget how he got it, and it cost him everything that he thought he had. What I need to say is I am nothing without the LORD, it’s only by HIS hand that I am anywhere close to where I am. I don’t believe I’m to where HE is taking me yet, but I have learned that my life depends on HIM and as I keep my eyes fixed on HIM HE will make sure that all my needs are met. Having more than is needed is a test as well. The question is will you remember the LORD or will you think you have done something. That statement brings a thought to my mind. It’s out of the last letter to the church in Revelation. The church of the Laodiceans . It’s the last day’s church. Revelation chapter 3 verses 17 and 18, “Because you say , “I am rich, I have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fir, that you may be rich and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with salve that you may see.” It’s easy to fill a building but not fill the hearts. The thing about this church is they forgot about their dependency. It’s not about anything that I have done…. GOD has done it all. That’s not something to forget. You will find ourselves like this church. Where Jesus is on the outside knocking… HE isn’t even in the church, remember the LORD in the good times… you did not get you to where you are “HE DID”
Prayer:
Father, you know us so well. You knew we would have a tendency to forget. But our dependency on you never goes away. We will always need you. You have given us the breath of life. Our hands are not enough to do what only you can do. You have brought us out of our captivity, and placed us in a land of more than enough. What an amazing GOD and father you are. We thank you for reminding us not to take our eyes off of you. Keeping that kind of focus will allow us to step out on the water, without sinking. Out of everything we owe you all you want is our hearts. Let them be fixed on you as well. Thank you for all you have provided, and the way you have taught us to stay diligent in our pursuit of you. May the desires of our hearts be for you and nothing el