Remembering His Goodness
August 20
Read Deuteronomy 8: 10-14
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.
Reflect
When do you feel the most thankful for all that God has given you? In times of abundance? Or in times of need?
When I look back over my life, I think I have been most grateful for what I have in seasons when I didn’t have as much. I think back to being single and right out of college. I had several scary months when I was just getting started as a teacher. I remember being sick and needing to go to the doctor but I wasn’t sure if my health insurance had kicked in yet. I barely had enough money in my account to cover a doctor’s appointment. Imagine how grateful I was for God’s provision during that time. I knew that He was the One sustaining me because I was just barely getting by and yet I had everything I needed. I was very aware of my dependence upon Him.
In Deuteronomy, Moses is addressing the Israelites after they had wandered in wilderness for 40 years. He was recounting God’s law and reminding the Israelites of the covenant that God had made with them. He was preparing them to enter the Promised Land.
In chapter 8, Moses charges them to not forget the LORD. He reminds them of how God had sustained them while they wandered for 40 years. He reminds them that God is the One giving them this land. He warns that if they forget to obey His commands, they will be destroyed.
How about us? How often do we forget that it is the LORD who sustains us? Everything we have is from His hand. Verse 18 says, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”.
Just as the LORD sustained the Israelites, He also sustains us. In light of that truth, how should we respond? We need to treat our money like it belongs to God because it does. We need to steward it well and live generously. We need to honor Him with whatever He has bestowed upon us. Most of all, we need to remember the LORD our God and obey His commands. We may not realize it, but like the Israelites, we also rely so completely on God. He has the right to tell us how to live.
Pray
Lord, help me to remember that You are the giver of every good thing. Whether in abundance or scarcity, You have blessed me with everything I have. Because it is all Yours, I should honor You in obedience. Amen.
