Deuteronomy 8-10

February 26

Deuteronomy 8-10

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, NIV)

It sounds pretty simple; fear God, walk in His ways, love Him and serve Him with all our hearts and souls, and obey his commands. Why do we have so much trouble performing such a simple task? God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. He parted the Red Sea. He fed them manna and quail. He gave them water from a rock. He proved himself as a dependable provider for their needs. He humbled them so they would have to depend on Him and see that He was good and trustworthy. All the Israelites gave God was heartache.

God continued to provide for them and lead them toward the Promised Land. He knew their hearts and knew they would continue to rebel against Him. Moses warned them that when they had settled in the land, they should not forget the source of their blessings. He instructed them to praise God for his provision when they have eaten and are satisfied.

Satisfaction, contentment is a dangerous place to rest. Moses warned the Israelites that when they settled and were satisfied, when they no longer had to trust God for their daily manna, if they were not careful they would forget God. If they are not careful they will get proud and begin to think they have produced wealth for themselves and forget about God’s deliverance.

Satisfaction and contentment continue to be dangerous traps. Wealth is deceptive and leads many to forget about God and to trust in their own strength. When we can do it all ourselves it is easy to forget our dependence on God. We begin to focus on our wealth, our abilities, our occupation and before we know it we have a new god. Moses warns us that the worship of idols is hazardous. We may not think of them as idols, but where to we focus our time, our energy, our money? Who or what do you really worship?