DEUTERONOMY 8
“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger..."
For the last few weeks and since the beginning of Deuteronomy, Moses has been telling the people to walk in the remembrance of who God is and what He has done for them. Moses calls the people to never forget their slavery, nor their wilderness. He says that their future depends on the lessons learned and appreciated from their past. Starting in chapter 8 this week, Moses changes gears in what he wants the people to remember. He calls them to not simply remember what God has done, but why He was doing it. Moses tells the people that the 40 years in the wilderness was not by accident or by chance, but God's sovereign plan to humble, test, and prepare His people for a greater faith.
Chapter 8 in Deuteronomy holds a true secret of life. The questions that all of us ask concerning why certain events are happening or the reason for struggle in life are answered clearly in this week's chapter. We read that God is growing, maturing, and pruning, in man, attributes that are not yet perfected. God is growing His children for a greater relationship with Himself.
In our story, the people were not ready for the land of milk and honey. They were not ready for the Promise Land. The people could not go from slavery to bliss; they needed the wilderness. The people of God needed to be humbled and to become desperate for Him or they would forget Him once lavished in His blessings. They needed to be tested to increase their faith and trust. They also needed to be prepared to worship in blessings, not take credit for them. The wilderness was not by accident! It was intentional, perfect parenting by the Creator.
Many will spend their entire lives wondering "why God would allow or cause" without looking at "why they would need" such circumstances and events. The hard reality is, God is after something in us that has to be grown, not already perfected. We might not want the wilderness, but true life depends on it!
God's word calls us to remember the true "why" in what is happening in our lives today. To remember that He loves us too much to leave us in our sin. That He did not send His Son to die on a cross so that we could live our lives in continued shallow brokenness. God loves us enough to starve us, just so that He can feed us what we truly need.
Trust the Father that He knows best. Begin asking "why I need" vs "why He would cause".
Have faith that the wilderness is not only needed, but preparing you for the promise.
Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter
Chapter 8 in Deuteronomy holds a true secret of life. The questions that all of us ask concerning why certain events are happening or the reason for struggle in life are answered clearly in this week's chapter. We read that God is growing, maturing, and pruning, in man, attributes that are not yet perfected. God is growing His children for a greater relationship with Himself.
In our story, the people were not ready for the land of milk and honey. They were not ready for the Promise Land. The people could not go from slavery to bliss; they needed the wilderness. The people of God needed to be humbled and to become desperate for Him or they would forget Him once lavished in His blessings. They needed to be tested to increase their faith and trust. They also needed to be prepared to worship in blessings, not take credit for them. The wilderness was not by accident! It was intentional, perfect parenting by the Creator.
Many will spend their entire lives wondering "why God would allow or cause" without looking at "why they would need" such circumstances and events. The hard reality is, God is after something in us that has to be grown, not already perfected. We might not want the wilderness, but true life depends on it!
God's word calls us to remember the true "why" in what is happening in our lives today. To remember that He loves us too much to leave us in our sin. That He did not send His Son to die on a cross so that we could live our lives in continued shallow brokenness. God loves us enough to starve us, just so that He can feed us what we truly need.
Trust the Father that He knows best. Begin asking "why I need" vs "why He would cause".
Have faith that the wilderness is not only needed, but preparing you for the promise.
Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter
SCRIPTURE TO GO WITH THE MESSAGE
Read James 1 that goes alongside our story in this week's text.
Posted in Deuteronomy