Moses' sermon to the people before they enter the Promised Land is filled with hope and warnings.
They're headed into the land which God had promised their forefathers. The land will be plentiful. They will dwell in safety. God will be with them and bless them.
But the warning is clear: Don't forget God!
"Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His rules and His statues, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirst ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth'" (Deuteronomy 8:11-17).
God was going to pour out His blessings on them. He was going to drive out the enemies. He was going to multiply their wealth. Just like He had done in the past.
But they were to remember that it was God who did all of that. It wasn't by their own strength and power.
How were they to remember Him? "Oh yeah, I remember God. He's the one who..."
Look at verse 11.
Don't forget God by not keeping His commandments.
Or to put it positively: Remember God by keeping His commandments.
Remembering God is not just a rehearsal of the things that He has done for us. It's not simply saying thank you to Him for His blessings. Those things are good and important.
But evidence of remembering God is seen in our obedience to Him.
We remember what He has done and that motivates us to obedience.
Our obedience to Him shows that we are remembering His blessings.
So are you remembering God today? Are you living in obedience to Him today?
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