Words To Live By
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Deuteronomy 8 and Psalm 119:1-32 (NIV)
(Eric Chiam, PTM, Small Group Ministry)
READ:
Deuteronomy 8 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Moses continues to prepare the Israelites for the Promised Land by urging them to obey all of God’s commands. In this chapter, he points to God’s past goodness ( saving them from the Egyptians and sustaining them through the wilderness) and future blessings (the fertility of the Promised Land) as bases for their complete obedience to God. Moses also warns them against forgetfulness and ingratitude, which would bring dire consequences.
It’s clear that God wants to bless His people. He acted first to redeem and protect them, and even in this moment of their story, God holds out His promise of more blessings to His people. But He was also taking a risk by blessing them so abundantly. As pointed out in verses 17-18, the Israelites could be blinded by those very blessings, and credit themselves for them instead of thanking God! To do so would miss the point of their wilderness testing, which was for them to “understand that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (verse 3).
The deep truth that God wanted His people to grasp is that His commandments are more than rules to follow — they are life-giving and life-sustaining — and a life without them is incomplete.
APPLY:
Planning what to eat is a daily priority for my family, especially because we have a two-year-old. We try to choose food that our daughter will enjoy enough to finish, but we also want the food to be good for her (which means more than just fries and ice-cream, despite her preferences). We strive for a diet that is good for her physical growth.
But parenting is more than merely ensuring our child’s survival. We’re also trying to nurture her relationship with God, because we know life without Him is incomplete. Yet, I cannot force her to choose God So what can I do?
While I have no direct control over how she relates to God, I can model a relationship with Him. I have to show her that there’s more to life than food and physical needs — I need to desire to follow God’s decrees. I may not obey Him perfectly at all times, but I have to show her that I’m trying. She deserves to see that God’s ways are more important than my preferences, and that yielding to Him is vital for a full, complete life.
My relationship with God, therefore, is good for me, and for my daughter.
DO:
I must read God’s Word daily, in order to know what He wants for me. And since I need “every word” from Him, I must read the entire Bible. Practically, this means following a Bible reading plan, to ensure I don’t miss out on anything God has to say to me.
As my daughter grows up, I will need to share with her through my successes and failures in living out God’s Word. These are learning opportunities for me as well as her, so that we both practise being honest about ourselves, and keeping God central in our lives.
PRAY:
Father, You give us Your entire Word so that we can have true life in You. Help me to obey this Word whole-heartedly, because I know I cannot do it on my own strength. When I succeed, remind me that it is You who enabled me; when I fail, comfort me with the finished work of Your Son, and give me courage to continue leaning on You. Shape me, so that my daughter will also want to be shaped by You. In Jesus’ name I ask this, Amen.
