CHAPTER 8:
Imagine a place where the distractions of the modernized world are minimized because you cannot go where you’d like. No market visits. No entertainment. No work away from home. You’re stuck in a land where supplies are limited, food is short, drink is scarce. Sound familiar? Now imagine that you are told God put you there to humble you, to test you, to reveal what was in your heart, to reveal whether you would follow Him or not. Imagine!
The subtitle in my Bible for Deuteronomy Chapter 8 is “God’s Gracious Dealings.” Even though the Israelites were in the wilderness under these circumstances for 40 years, God was gracious to them. Let’s read and find out why.
Read Deuteronomy Chapter 8:1-5.
Verse 1 gives a “so that” statement. The Israelites were to carefully follow all the commandments so that ___________________________.
Verse 2 uses an important verb – “led.” Who was leading them and why is it important to know this?
In verse 3, how did God humble the people?
How was He also gracious and provide for them?
God gave them manna to eat, a food not known to them or their forefathers. This food came by God’s command to keep them alive. But it was not the manna that kept them alive, it was the Word of God that kept them alive. He wanted them to know that He was their provider. They needed to learn to rely on Him, not on what was around them. In the land they were about to inhabit, it was imperative they knew to rely on the LORD.
In verse 5, what are they to “know in their heart?”
Read Deuteronomy 8:6-14.
God reminds them to remember what He has done and who they are. He is about to give them a lot of things, all the things they’ve lacked in the wilderness and much, much more. They are about to be rich. But with wealth comes distraction.
What is the danger of multiplied possessions? (verse 14)
How does this danger apply to us today?
Are you guilty of not relying on the Lord, or not giving Him credit for your possessions? If so, consider how you might give Him honor for the things He has done for you.
Read Deuteronomy 8:15-20.
What is the warning at the end of the chapter?
You can’t say they weren’t warned. God clearly reasoned with the Israelites. He reasons with us as well, right there in His Word. I love that God reasons with us. He has given us a brain to think things through. We don’t just “believe” in ignorant bliss. No. He created us to logically reason; that is part of the image of God given to us.
The problem is that we allow our emotions too much control. Even Aristotle, in his ancient work title “Rhetoric,” pointed out that when given the choice to use logic or emotion to make decisions, most people will decide based on emotion. I think Jeremiah 17:9 says it best though: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” That’s true. Emotions stimulate and distract us even when we don’t realize that is what is happening. Anger. Love. Desire. Hate. Envy. Longing. The need for approval. Dissatisfaction. We are overwhelmed, seek to soothe and satisfy, then forget all we know to be logical and true. Our hearts become self-seeking.
That’s when the LORD sends us on a walk in the wilderness, a place where we must rely on Him to be our provider, a place where we can refocus our hearts on who He is and who we are called to be as children of God. I can’t help but wonder if that is exactly what is happening in our world today. Are we on a walk in the wilderness to help us remember who is our provider and savior?
Do you see the Church today refocusing their hearts on God? If so, how?
How might this time in the wilderness change the Church?
On a personal level, I have been on some walks in the wilderness. Looking back, the strange thing to me is that I didn’t even know I needed a walk. I wasn’t obviously doing some outward thing that screamed I needed to reign in a certain sinful behavior. My walks were all about heart issues that I’m sure only the LORD noticed. He saw some pride in me and we walked through it. He noticed some areas where I was trying to be in control, and He forced me to let go and rest in Him.
While some of my walks have been difficult and several have been life changing, I would not trade my walks in the wilderness for all the silver and gold in the world. Why? Because the steadfast presence of the LORD is so very real to me now. The love and affection He has for me is almost tangible. I know Him in ways I could have never known otherwise. My walks have been for my good and His glory.
The caveat here is that I walked with Him. I sought Him out. I searched for Him . . . and He led me through the wilderness. I can’t imagine where I’d be if I had traveled alone. Not here, that’s for sure; not in the blessed place of it is well with my soul.
When have you ever walked through the wilderness?
What did you learn about God?
What did you learn about yourself?
Our walks are discipline from a loving Father. They are meant to help us remember who we are in Him, and remember that He is our provider. God is good. He will give us what we need, which is not always what we want. But like the Israelites, we must heed the warning: do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments lest you perish because you would not listen.
Love Him. Remember. Fear. Observe. Teach. Be blessed because of your walks.
Lesson to Remember: God is our provider.
A Way to Walk: Remember your walks through the wilderness and hold tight to the lessons you learned there.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.