Text: Deuteronomy 8:1-10
The book of Deuteronomy contains many reminders for the people, given to them before they entered Canaan – reminders of the law, of their wilderness wanderings, of God’s care for them, and so on. In our text, they were reminded of God’s care for them, including Him sending manna for them to eat. They needed food and God provided it, even if it was not what they would have preferred. We are facing challenges in our lives, including concern over food and other basic necessities. There are lessons in here that we need to remember.
Lessons from the Wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:1-10)
- Be careful to obey all of God’s commands (v. 1, 6) – same responsibility today (Matthew 28:20)
- Remember God’s blessings (v. 2, 4) – every good thing is from Him (James 1:17)
- In hard times, remember what’s important (v. 3, 5) – momentary light affliction vs. eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17)
- God is leading to even greater blessings (v. 7-9) – an inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4)
- God will fulfill His promise (v. 10) – it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18)
Lessons from Jesus’ Temptation (Matthew 4:1-4)
- Jesus came to do the Father’s will (John 6:38) – the devil tried to distract Him from this; he tries to do the same to us (Luke 8:14)
- Food is a necessity and is certainly not wrong – but Jesus was putting His trust in the Father to provide (v. 11); God knows what we need (Matthew 6:8); we do not need to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:31-34)
- We will face hardships – continue to trust in God, do His will, and resist temptation
Conclusion
- During difficult times, the devil wants us to focus on this life – turn our attention away from God
- But we must never lose sight of what’s important – true life comes from God and is found in His word
