On the Move - Wisdom for the Journey
Don't Forget the Lord
1. Remember God's Faithfulness: The passage emphasizes the importance of remembering God's faithfulness and provision throughout the wilderness journey.
Just as the Israelites were reminded of how God led them through the wilderness, believers today are encouraged to reflect on God's faithfulness in their own lives, acknowledging His guidance and provision.
Moses' instructions offer a fivefold plea to God's people, urging them to remember and avoid forgetting the deeds of the LORD, as there will be consequences if they do not:
Vs 2. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Vs 11. 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.
Vs.14 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.
Vs. 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Vs.19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.
Moses is urging God's people, as well as us today, to recognize the peril that arises when we intentionally disregard God's commands or allow ourselves to become distracted and forget them.
2. Be prepared: God tests the hearts of his people. (vs 2)
Remember how the Lord led you to humble you and to test you.
You see the devil will tempt you, but the Lord our God will test you.
The devil wants to turn your heart away from God, but God wants to build your resistance to temptation by training you to trust God.
The temptation for us will be: when we are in a trial or season of suffering, will we choose to focus on the promises of God (limiting distractions), or will we forsake God and do our own thing (disobeying the counsel of God)?
3. The Purpose of Testing (vs 3-6): God allowed the Israelites to experience trials and testing in the wilderness to humble them and reveal what was in their hearts. Similarly, believers may face trials and testing in their lives to refine their character, deepen their dependence on God, and strengthen their faith.
He humbled you - causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors 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.
He provided for you - Your clothes did not wear out
He sustained you - your feet did not swell during these forty years.
4. Avoid Spiritual Forgetfulness (vs 6-9)
The key that opened the door to the promised land was simple: obey God’s commandments, walk in his ways, and show reverence.
The Lord wants to bless his people, but were his people ready for this blessing:
Vs 6. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
The blessings they will receive through obedience to God's commandments mirror the abundant blessings available to today's believers in Christ: the richness of His glory, the abundance of His mercy, and the inexhaustible wealth found in Christ. We are made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), in whom all fullness dwells (Colossians 1:19), and thus we possess everything necessary for living a fulfilling Christian life to the glory of God.
5. The Danger of Pride and Self-Sufficiency: (vs.10-18) In Deuteronomy 8:10-18, Moses delivers a heart-rending message to the Israelites, cautioning them against forgetting to praise God amidst abundance and prosperity. He reminds them of the dangers that accompany the blessings of the land they are about to enter.
The danger of forgetting to praise God because of affluence lies in the temptation to attribute success solely to human effort or merit.
Forgetting to praise God can lead to spiritual apathy, defined as an attitude of "I don't care," and spiritual complacency, which means "I'm okay with my current level of engagement."
6. The Consequences of Forgetting God (Vs. 19-20)
The Danger of Spiritual Forgetfulness (Deuteronomy 8:19)
Spiritual forgetfulness occurs when we lose sight of God's presence, His commands, and His faithfulness in our lives. Stay focused, press-in, Don’t get distracted!
The Call to Obedience (Deuteronomy 8:20)
Importance of Obedience: Obedience to God's commands is essential for maintaining our relationship with Him and experiencing His blessings. Do not allow any space (sin) to enter your relationship with God. Don’t live in Disobedience.
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