Deuteronomy 8:6
“Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”
1) Do what God tells you to do.
2) Learn His ways (see Hebrews 3:10 on not doing this) and walk in them.
3) Fear GOD. Reverence. Respect. Honor.
Three things does God want from us as He takes into the life of abundance.
Deuteronomy 8:10 “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”
1) We will be full and contented.
2) We shall bless God for His goodness.
3) HE is the provider. He gave it to us.
Deuteronomy 8:16 :In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.”
Reminder of why we are brought into desert circumstances. They were still in the desert. Why do you think that God would need to remind them before they even got out?
1) God did the providing.
2) He did it in ways that are not like ours. Yet, He wants us to come to know His ways. God changes. Change with Him.
3) Humble us!
4) Ultimately, this is about the goodness of God. He is doing good FOR us – not bad TO us.
The desert can be painful, but it is FOR our good and to the praises of God.
Dueteronomy 8: 17 “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth. But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Explanation as to why we learn humility.
1) Our hearts naturally are bent on pride and our own exaltation.
2) God gives us everything, including the power to make wealth.
3) He did this because He keeps His promises. Sometimes, God has to take us into deep training and change inorder to bring forth promises that He makes to us or even our forefathers. But, He keeps His promises, and they are for our good and His glory.
Deuteronomy 8:19 “It shall come to 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.”
Genesis 3:16-17 “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good an evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.'”
1) God delivered abundance and prosperity to Adam and Eve. He repeated His generosity with the Israelites.
2) In both cases, He offered commandments. “I am God. Worship Me, and Me alone.” In both cases, He set the stage that if man put himself above God, death would ensue.
3) He knew what was in man’s heart and even told them to be careful.
Funny how many times people ignore God’s commands once the desert time is over.
Then again, there is nothing funny about it.
Lord, give me the grace to never turn away from You.