Remember

"Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today... But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 8.6-11, 18-20

Moses tells Israel that they are going to make it. Their hardships will end and they will enjoy an abundance. They are about to enter a good land where all of their needs will be more than satisfied. And he reminds them to remember God.

When things are going well, it is easy to forget God. It is easy to forget about the hard times and think there is a sense of security in the present situation. But we must never forget God. We must never forget what God has brought us through, or what He has provided, and that all of the goodness that surrounds us is a result of His blessings. When we forget God it is easy to take credit for what we have, and when that happens we tell God we don't need Him, that we never really needed Him. That is a dangerous place to be.

I remember a conversation I had with a coworker close to a year ago. I was telling him about all my wife and I had been through in the past few years, but at the end I told Him how God had provided and taken care of us, putting us in the position we were now it. I'll never forget what he said to me. "You did that. You got yourself through. Take credit for it."

That is something I cannot do. If it wasn't for God's presence and provision, I would still be where I was, and without the healing moments I had experienced in that time. And if I don't give God the credit that He alone warrants, I am saying to Him, "I don't need you, really I never needed you. I've had this, and I'll take it from here." And with that response, God will step back and say, "Ok, you take things from here." I don't want to go there.

Men, you may not be struggling, maybe you have made it. Are you remembering how God has brought you to this point? Do you remember the hardships that you faced leading up to this? Are you praising God daily for where He has brought you, and what He has brought you through?

I'll be honest, this is a struggle for me at times. I'm not taking credit for where my life is right now, but it is easy to get comfortable and go days, weeks even, without thanking God simply for how well life is going. I don't want to be like that, because the longer I'm comfortable, the sooner it is that I begin to take credit for things. I don't want to go a day without thanking God for where He has brought me, and what He has sustained me through.

Throughout the book of Deuteronomy Moses is constantly reminding the people of where they have been, in the hope that when everything is good they don't forget all that God has done. May we always remember where God has brought us, and how He has blessed us. Never forget.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

The Goodness of God

"You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son." -Deuteronomy 8.2-5

As the people prepare to enter all of the goodness of the land, Moses again calls to mind the forty years of wandering. He reminds them that during that time God humbled them and tested them, seeing if they would trust Him and obey Him. During that time He provided for them both with food, and making their clothing last. But the wilderness itself was punishment for disobedience and lack of trust. But even in the discipline the people were able to see the goodness of God.

The people had refused to trust, deciding that they knew the best course of action for their lives. But upon seeing the consequences of their lack of faith, they decided that it was safe to trust God. He allowed them to face defeat, and the forty years of wandering began (Numbers 14). God humbles them, remind them that they are His people, and that He is God, not the other way around. They will obey Him willingly, or they will be disciplined out of His love.

But it is crucial to note that even during the discipline, God's love shines through. His discipline does not mean He is absent, or uncaring, simply that He is trying to teach them something and remind them of who He is. During the time of discipline they did not enjoy the blessings of the land, but they did receive the blessings of God's provision. He sustained them with food that they didn't produce or even know what it was. He made their clothing and footwear last for forty years. Even while they were being punished, God was with them.

Men, do you know that God is good? Do you know that His discipline is a result His love, and that He shows it by taking care of us even when He disciplines us? Discipline does not mean that God does not care, simply that we are being prepared, and tested, for His full blessings.

Let us embrace the discipline of God, knowing that it is for our own good, and in that discipline, let us see the goodness of God.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor