Thank You God
We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near.
People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 75:1
Thank you. Two words that are easy to say but we sometimes do not say them as often as we should. The words show appreciation for something someone has done. They express our gratitude when we are unable to do for ourselves or when we are given something. The words aren’t hard to say, but sometimes we don’t say it often enough.
Sometimes we can become comfortable in our provisions and take for granted all that we have. Sometimes we can complain how we don’t have this or we can’t do that yet forget about all that we have and can do. We can tend to forget about the times we prayed for something and received it while not realizing someone else is praying for the same thing we have received and is still waiting for it. We forget how we can get into a warm bed at night, get up and eat food on a daily basis, go to work, drive a car, come and go as we please, are healthy and have a family who loves us when there are other people who are not so fortunate and are struggling. We can forget.
In Deuteronomy 8, Moses calls the Israelite’s to remember and obey God’s commands. He calls them to remember how God brought them out of Egypt and all they went through and all God did for them. Even in the wilderness, God provided for their needs to the point that after 40 years in the desert, their clothes didn’t wear out, and their feet didn’t blister or swell (verse 4). Moses commanded them to obey God’s commands by walking in His ways and fearing Him because they were about to enter into the Promised Land where their needs will be met. In verse 10 Moses states: When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. However, Moses continues with the following reminder:
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.
In Deuteronomy Chapter 8, Moses used several important words…Be careful…remember…do not forget! Moses wanted to stress to the Israelite’s the importance of not forgetting God after they have entered into the Promised Land and received all of the blessings God had for them. God wanted to bless them because He loved them, but He did not want to be forgotten. Though Moses gave them a hint of what they would have once they crossed over into the Promised Land, He reminded them of all God had done for them. He didn’t want them to forget because He knew there would be consequences if they forgot as we see in verses 19-20:
19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God.
We must not forget all that God has done for us. We must remember that He has delivered us out of our own Egypt, our own bondage. He has provided for us, cared for us, loved us, fed us, humbled us and tested us to prove our character. He gave us comfort when we were hurting and cleansed us from our filth. He befriended us when others would not. He stayed with us through our ugliness waiting for us to trust Him. He never left our side. When we begin healing and life seems to be getting better, we can become comfortable in that and sometimes neglect to spend time with God, pray to Him, thank Him and praise Him on a daily basis. If it continues, we may suffer the consequences which could mean falling back into our old ways and ending up back into our old bondage. This isn’t because God doesn’t love us, but it has more to do with us choosing our own path, putting life first and failing to nourish ourselves with the Word of God and not remaining in communication with Him through prayer which strengthens us. Though Deuteronomy 8 was written for the Israelite’s, we can learn from their relationship with God and how God dealt with them.
Take time each day to praise God and thank Him for all He is doing in your life. Pray that you will remain close to Him and be nourished by His Word.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. (Psalm 103:2)