Day 86

Deuteronomy 7:1–8:20; Luke 7:36–8:3; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1

THE IMPASSIONED PLEAS of Moses continued today in Deuteronomy. He gave a dire warning to the people about to cross into the Land of Promise: Mixture would destroy them. When they entered the land, they were to destroy the worship of lesser gods. If they did not, they would eventually be seduced away from God, which would have devastating consequences. Then he reminded them just how special they were:

For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors.

Moses reminded the people of God’s never-ending faithfulness and loyalty. He told them that there was no ceiling on the blessings that awaited them if they would listen to and obey the Lord. He then gave them a future warning —one that we must clearly see, for it describes our own journey: “Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 8:11).

When the fires are burning all around us and we have no way to extricate ourselves from the wilderness, it becomes very clear that our only hope is in God. But for most of us, these are only seasons we pass through. It’s in the times of plenty that we tend to forget who we are, how we got here, and God’s hand in all of it. Moses instructed the people that if they forgot the wilderness and God’s mighty hand of provision and began believing that they had achieved this new land in their own strength and power, they would be dooming themselves. In fact, Moses gave context to the entire wilderness experience. He revealed the larger story to the people: God used the wilderness to mature His children. He used the starkness of the desert to show them that in all circumstances, they were utterly dependent on Him for life. If they forgot this monumental truth, they would lose their identity and fade away. Or in Moses’ words:

He did all this so you would never say to yourself, “I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.” Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

Thousands of years have passed between Moses’ words and now. But the truths spoken are insistently relevant to our lives today. May we remember that our only hope —whether we are in the wilderness or a time of plenty —is firmly rooted in our utter dependence on God.

PRAYER:

Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful.