deuteronomy 8:10-17

A Heart of Thanksgiving Deuteronomy 8: 10-17

Deuteronomy 8:10–17 NRSV

10 You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. 11 Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12 When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16 and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17 Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.”

(Text verses) As we begin our study today we need to take a moment to consider the context of the passage. We have picked up in the midst of a message that Moses was preaching to Israel just prior to their entering the Promised Land. They were in the plain of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho, and Canaan was in view. The book of Deuteronomy is a book of review, a book of remembrance. The word literally means “second law.” It wasn’t an addition to the law or a new law, but simply a review and reminder of the law. Moses spends much time rehearsing the law and will of God for their lives prior to his departure. We will enter into Thanksgiving celebrations this week, a time of remembrance and reflection on the blessings that we have received of our Lord. I rejoice that we are living in the dispensation of grace, but there is much truth that can be gleaned and applied to our lives in this passage. In these verses we discover the challenge and obligation of offering genuine thanksgiving to the Lord. I want to examine the attitudes revealed in regard to: A Heart of Thanksgiving. The first attitude we must possess recognizes: I. The Abundance from our Lord (1-9) – For sake of time we didn’t read these verses with our text, but they are essential to a heart of thanksgiving. Here Moses reminds them of the goodness of the Lord and His abundance. Our existence is much different than that of Israel, but we too have received the same blessings from God. Notice: A. God Has Blessed our Past (2-4) – The word remember deals with those blessings of the past. God led them in the wilderness 40 years, feeding them with manna from heaven and even ensured that their clothes didn’t wear out or get to small.  Would we not have to admit that God has blessed our past? Has He not been faithful in years gone by? Has He not always met our need? B. God Is Blessing our Present (7-8) – For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; [8] A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; At that very moment God was bringing them out of the wilderness. They were on the verge of Canaan. God was good in their lives at that very moment !  Take just a moment to consider what the Lord has done for us even today. Has He not been good and gracious in our lives today? Has He not blessed us at this very moment? We don’t have to look back with regret, having only memories of God’s blessing; we are enjoying them even now ! C. God Can Bless our Future (9) – A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. They were yet to enter the Promised Land and already Moses spoke of the blessings of God they would enjoy. He had not brought them through the wilderness to abandon them in Canaan. God would continue to bless His people as long as they continued to serve Him.  I rejoice that we serve One who will never leave us nor forsake us. We have a blessed hope and a sure promise of God’s goodness in our lives.  I considered saying that God Will Bless our Future, but I thought that was a bit presumptuous. I have no doubt He will as long as we follow Him, but I fear that many in America are no longer looking to the Lord or thankful for His goodness .  That brings us to the next attitude that Moses spoke of in our text verses, The Awareness of our Lord. We must maintain a proper respect and relationship with the Lord if we are to expect His blessing. Let’s consider: I. The Abundance from our Lord II. The Awareness of our Lord (1-9) (10-17) – Moses deals with two aspects of our awareness. First we see: A. The Duty of Praise– He reminds the people of their duty, their obligation to praise the Lord. He also reminds them of that which they need to praise God for. Once again, there is great application for us. So, what did Israel, as well as our congregation have to praise God for? 1. Our Satisfaction (10a) – When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. After they had eaten and were full, they were to praise the Lord for their fullness. God has blessed them and satisfied their need.  Oh, how we need to praise God for our satisfaction . How many times do we go to the table and eat until we are filled? How many of our urgent needs has God failed to supply? We would have to admit that we are blessed beyond measure . If anyone ought to have the ability to praise Him, we should. 2. Our Source (10b) – Moses reminds Israel and all who read these words the source of all our blessings. We are to praise Him from whom all blessings flow ! God is the provider of all the goodness we receive!  Do you have a job to provide for your family? Is there money in the bank, food on the table, clothes in the closet? God gave all of that! 3. Our Salvation (14b) – Moses spoke of the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; He reminds them of the bondage they were under and the deliverance that the Lord brought unto them.  It is impossible to praise the Lord if we have forgotten our salvation ! I remember a time when I was much like the Hebrews in Egypt. I was bound by the chains of sin and forced to serve a cruel task master who sought to keep me bound. But praise the Lord He came to me in my moment of need, saved my soul, forgave my sin, lifted me out of the miry clay, placed me within His family, and guaranteed a home in heaven for all eternity! Of all that I am thankful for, nothing is more precious than my salvation. 4. Our Security (15-16) – Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; [16] Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; Now Moses reminds them of the wondrous protection and provision that God blessed them with in the wilderness. They came out of Egypt after being in bondage all those years without much skill other than brick making and God provided every need. He fought their battles; He fed their families; He favored them and led them in the way  ! I don’t know about you, but I rejoice for the security that I have in my Lord. I know that my soul is secure in Him and that I will inherit eternal life when I die, but I can enjoy His blessed security today ! I have no idea what tomorrow may bring. I don’t know how much worse things will get before we are called out of this world, but I do know that my God is in control. David declared that he had never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. We may never have all we want, but God will provide what we need. B. The Danger of our Pride (11, 17) – They had not yet entered the land and Moses was already warning them of the danger of pride. It is hard for a proud heart to be thankful to anyone for anything . Notice what God’s Word reveals to us concerning pride: 1. Pride Promotes Disobedience (11) – Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Moses warned that pride would cause the people to forget the commandments of God . It would cause them to stray from Him and hinder their relationship.  Pride will generate that same response in our lives as well. When we get to the place that we feel as if we have accomplished something on our own, we see no need to submit to the authority and leadership of another . I fear that many feel as if they are doing fine in their own way and no longer see the need to follow the Lord and His will for their lives. Pride will usually promote an attitude of disobedience. 2. Pride Promotes Arrogance (17) – And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. Moses warns of the dangers associated with arrogance. He has already reminded them that it was God who cared for them in the wilderness and it would be God that would give them a land of plenty. He knew that they would be tempted to assume that all of their good fortune was the result of their hard work and labor.  It saddens me to see the state that our blessed nation is in today. We have fallen victim to our own prosperity . Many may not want to admit it, but it was God who enabled us to prosper as we have. Had He not blessed us, we would be no different than any other nation.  Where the problem lies is that we have forgotten God . We have assumed the very attitude that Moses warned of. We want to take the credit for our prosperity. Many assume that their hard work has brought abundance. Hard work and planning are essential to prosperity, but it is God who gives the ability to work and the wisdom to plan . All that we enjoy, He has given!  May we humble ourselves before the Lord and praise Him for His abundant blessings! As we close today, is there anything in your life that you are thankful for? Is there anything you would like to praise God for? Maybe you are here today and you have never been saved. Maybe you have never realized the goodness of God or you need for His forgiveness. Jesus paid the sin debt that you owed. Why not come and receive His glorious salvation so that you can be thankful for your redemption.