Man Lives By God's Word
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (NASB)
“All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. 2 You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. 6 Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.
SUMMARY
Moses commands the people of Israel to be careful to keep the commandments of the Lord so that they will live, increase, and possess the land God promised to their forefathers. Moses asks them to remember how God had provided things they needed and protected them physically in the wilderness for forty years. It was God’s discipline for them to walk in the wilderness as a man disciplines his son. The Israelites were also encouraged to walk in His ways and to fear Him because the land God brought them in was a good land which lacked nothing. Moses exhorts the Israelites to bless the Lord God when they receive all that He has given them.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
From this passage, I meditated on verse 3, “… man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” What does this mean? How does this relate to “manna” in verse 3a? Did not God feed the Israelites with manna? The Lord fed the people of Israel with manna every day for forty years in the wilderness (Exod. 16:13-36). According to God’s command through Moses, each one gathered manna every morning for the day. God instructed them the amount to gather for each person, no one should have too much or too little. “Each one gathered as much as he needed” (Exod. 16:18). God provided the Israelites with twice the amount of manna on the sixth day to supply them until the seventh day, which is a Sabbath because there was no manna on that day. Whoever followed God’s command was able to feed him/herself daily, but those who did not obey Him could not get their food for the day (Exod. 16:27). God tested His people to be humbled and rely on Him for their daily living. Even though God provided food, they had to remember and follow His instructions. They had to acknowledge God, who provides everything, and they needed to follow His commands to enjoy them.
God provides all things in my life, but many times, I have tried to control my life, children, money, time, and relationships with others. Because of my disobedience to God by following my own plans or thoughts, I experienced suffering, hurt, financial loss, and broken relationships with others. God wants me to focus only on Him who provides all things, not on the things that He provided. God wants my heart to be fully devoted to Him, not distracted by the things in the world. God wants me to praise Him, glorify Him, and acknowledge Him, always. God wants me to thank Him for the things that He provides and to remember that He is the one to be blessed and praised for what He has done for me.
APPLICATION
I thank and praise God for providing me with all my needs in the past, present, and in the future. I repent for my unbelief and self-reliance before God. I will try to listen to His voice and obey in my daily life, and regarding my children, church ministry, finances and relationships with others through QT, Bible reading, and listening to sermons. I will try to focus on Bible reading (the whole book of Deuteronomy) this week to understand God’s heart for this season of my life, the church, and the nations.
PRAYER
Father God, thank You for Your Words that teach me that I should live according to Your commands and instructions, not my own thoughts or plans. I ask for Your forgiveness over my self-reliance. I will obey Your Words as I listen to Your voice through daily QT and Bible reading this week. Holy Spirit give me Your wisdom and sensitivity to discern Your will.
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