A little background info: At this point in the bible the Israelites have traveled out of Egypt and have spent a long time wandering around in the desert. Despite that, God has abundantly provided for them, doing many miraculous things in their midst. They are now getting ready to enter the land He had promised to them. But before they do, God is speaking to them through Moses and reminding them of everything He has brought them through. Here are four parts of Deuteronomy 8 that really stick out for me.
1. "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV84).
I feel like the journey the Israelites took through the desert can be likened to our own journey on earth. The same reminder for them can be applied to ourselves. The desert is like a symbol for our earthly home. It's not perfect and wonderful all the time. It's hard and rough and we are left longing for something more. That longing will not be fulfilled until we reach the Promised Land. For us that is heaven.
2. "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV84)
The desert had no ability to sustain the Israelites. They had to rely on God for provision, which came in the form of manna. The bible is like our manna to help sustain us through our earthly journey. It contains promises, truths, directions, encouragement, and best of all the ability to come alive in our hearts and point out specific things to us. That's why it's so important that we look to it every day. Like the manna was only given to the Israelites to sustain them for one day at a time, so is the word of God for us. We need it each day for the challenges of that day alone.
3. "Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;" (Deuteronomy 8:6-8 NIV84)
I often wondered why the Israelites were so doubtful about where they were going. God showed them signs and wonders. How hard was it to trust that the Promised Land was going to be everything that God said it was? Yet I have found myself in exactly the same place, questioning the goodness of the heaven that is promised to me despite seeing Gods faithfulness and miracles in my own life. It's in our nature to fear the unknown and to doubt what we cannot see. But God wants us to trust that what he has for us beyond this earthly life is good and more than we can even imagine.
4. "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."(Deuteronomy 8:10-14 NIV84)
How many people with an abundance of earthly wealth really believe it has been given to them as a blessing from God? Not many I would guess. Again, It is in our nature to be prideful and to think that we have what we do because we've worked hard, earned it ourselves, and deserve it. Receiving wealth and earthly pleasures while we are living runs runs a risk that our prideful nature will lose sight of where they came from. It's no surprise to me that it's those who have very little material things that are more likely to live with a greater joy in their hearts because they have not lost sight of God. They are able to find this joy in Him and not in things. Thankfully in heaven we will be able to enjoy everything God gives us in abundance without running any risk of forgetting who gave it to us. Unlike the Israelites who entered the Promised Land, when we get to heaven we will never forget who brought us there because He will be there with us!
One last thought about my friends the Israelites:
Before entering the Promised Land, while they faced the challenges of their 40 years in the desert, the Israelites often cried out to God, telling him they wished hey had been left in Egypt. I never quite understood this. But yet again I am realizing how often we do the same when we are in the midst of a trial or even just living life. We question Him. We begin to question every promise He has ever made us and whether He is real at all. We say: Why would you do this to me? If you were real then you would not be doing this to me. And just like they forgot the parting of the Red Sea and the manna and water coming out of a rock; we forget everything He has ever done for us and how He's helped us before, simply because we can't seem to see Him in our current struggle. We shake our heads at the Israelites. How could they forget? Yet we are just the same. We are on the same journey. A journey that God sees in its entirety, while we only see what is directly in front of us. He sees around every corner. And while we are shaking our head or asking why, He is telling us:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8, 9 NIV84)
He wants us to trust Him as we fulfill our journey here on earth. His promises for what is ahead when we finish are more than we can even imagine!
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