Now that the first roll of vaccines are coming out and things are slowly beginning to open up, there is a sense of a return to normality. People are already making plans in anticipation of places opening up and restrictions being loosened. These are all good things that are worthy of excitement, but before I allow myself to be taken by the hopes of future interactions and the dreams of a maskless world, I am reminded of the importance of remembrance and obedience.
When reading Deuteronomy 8, Moses speaking to the Israelites, I just felt like these same words spoken to them are the same words being spoken over us, Lifespring Family. I want to highlight the verses that stood out to me and I pray that they would minister to you:
Deuteronomy 8:2-18(NLT)
2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
Lifespring, I think we can all agree that COVID-19 has been a form of wilderness to say the least. Remember how God has led us through this season. Humbling us, testing us to prove our character and to find out whether or not we would obey his commands. Some of us were humbled by the withdrawal of our dependencies and securities in order for God to show us that we do not live on bread alone but rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. God has shown His provision over Lifespring and its people by providing for their needs in every circumstance. Some of us have even experienced His discipline in this season, only to learn after that it was for our own good.
I feel like God is reminding us to obey His commands by walking in His ways and fearing Him. As we trek on this journey to becoming Mature Sons and Daughters of the Living God, I believe that God is preparing us to receive all the promises He has for His people. He warns us that when we receive what God has for us, to make sure we praise Him but also to never forget Him and disobey his commands. It is not when we are utterly dependent on God that we need to be careful but when our needs are completely satisfied and when we are in a place of contentment. Yes, God wants us to be satisfied and happy but He wants to be the source not a resource.
God knows that when we are “full and prosperous” there is a chance that we can become proud and forget all that God has done for us. I pray that we would never say that “we got through this season on our own strength, wisdom, knowledge, power and abilities” but rather “only by the grace of God.” I pray that we would remember that it was God who gave us power to succeed and grace to get back up when we didn’t.
I’m just amazed at how God has been working in this Family to really set us up for this season and the next. I mean just think about all the pulpit messages, the material we’ve been learning in our Life Groups and even the devotionals by the pastoral team. There is so much topicality in all of it that it can’t be just our doing. I believe it had to be Spirit led.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for all you have done, all you are doing and all you are going to do in this Family. I pray that you would remind us of all the times you have come through when we needed you the most and how you have been our strength and provider. God we are in awe of you and we choose to give you praise and worship you. Lord, have your way in us, have your way in Lifespring, lead us Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!