Seven Things to Remember as seen in Deuteronomy – Part 3

Third in the list of things God commanded Israel to remember is found in Deuteronomy 8:2 which instructs that “you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”

It would seem to me that it would be impossible to forget how God had led them through the past forty years. Every single day that they were to move, God was clearly there in a pillar of cloud. At night, His presence was also easy to see, as He appeared in the pillar of fire. Exodus 13:22
Tells us that “The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.” How do you forget that?

Think about this though. God no longer resides in a tabernacle or in a temple building as He did in the days of the Old Testament. He lives in the body of every single Christian.  Yet how often do we forget that.

It’s easy to think, “I wish I had a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire each day so I knew which way to go.” Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have something greater; the Holy Spirit as our guide. 1 Corinthians 3:16 asks the question, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” But we forget, so we wander aimlessly through our own wilderness, afraid to enter into the blessings of the spiritual promised land we have been given.

We also have God’s Word to guide us. We live in era of such technological advancement that we can not only carry God’s Word with us everywhere we go and it’s just a click away on our smart phones, we can also easily have multiple translations, commentaries, and a wealth of study tools to help us understand it. 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

We also have one more thing people of Israel did not have. We have access to God through Jesus anytime we want. We do not need a priest to make sacrifices for us at the altar for we have the Great High Priest who made the only sacrifice we will ever need and now we can go boldly to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us at the proper time as we read in Hebrews 4:14-16.

The next time you find yourself wandering through the wilderness remember these things. Remember how the people of Israel were led to the promised land and it was only their own failure to follow God’s leading through obedience and faith that caused them trouble. Remember that we have God’s Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us, we have access through Christ to go boldly to the throne of grace anytime we need to, and we have the Word of God to be our roadmap on our journey.

Take time this morning to remember. Look back at all the good things God has already done in your life, remember how He has delivered you from you sin. When you get down and feel lost and not sure which way to go, call on your Heavenly Father through prayer, open your Bible, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, teach you, and lead you on your journey. You need not wander any more. Just remember how God has led you and let Him lead you now.