Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant,
which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 8:1-18 NIV
These last few year of economic crisis has undoubtedly touched everyone in one way or another. Whether you have lost a job, an investment, or have just been burdened by higher fuel and cost of living prices, I can say, with certainty, that everyone has been effected. Since Luis lost his job in 2009, and we relocated to Anderson County, South Carolina, we have learned so much about ourselves. I have remained a stay at home Mom, in spite of the tightening of our belts. I have searched and applied for dozens of jobs-dozens of jobs for which I was completely qualified, nonetheless, doors remained closed. Day after day, I have combed through the job listings online, pray for open doors, applied and waited. I have done everything I know how to do, pursued all the channels at my disposal and prayed, prayed, prayed. I suppose some might look at my situation and say, "Well, where is your God now?" Believe me, I too have questioned, at times, whether my prayers were being heard. Sometimes they felt as if they were ricocheting off a brass ceiling. It's difficult to see all that God is doing, in the midst of our circumstances. But then, as time puts a little distance between us and our struggles, we are able to make sense of those times where we felt as if God was turning a deaf ear. Just like the Israelites who wandered for forty years in the desert, we all have times where we feel as though we are wandering aimlessly in a vast dry land. It is in those times when it is so important to remind ourselves daily (and sometimes hourly or minute by minute) the promises that God has spoken to us. It is also important to stop and remember all that God has brought us through, reminding ourselves that if he did it then, he can do it again! In this passage that I read this morning, Moses held a pep rally of sorts, and reiterated all that was in store for the Israelites in Canaan if they just kept on going. He reestablished the vision and encouraged his people to once again focus on the promises yet to be fulfilled. Then he added an extra dose of inspiration by reminding them of who they were, the miracles God had already performed and battles they had already won. He boosted the morale with yesterday's victories, and inspired the children of God with the hope of tomorrow's triumphs, yet not once did Moses speak to the present location, struggles or circumstances. As it was with the Israelites, so it is with my life and yours. When we choose to fix our eyes on the greatness of all that God has in store, and then gain confidence by remembering all that God had already done, we are caught up in the momentum of those two powerful forces that gives us incentive and motivation to live today with confidence and faith. So even though the doors I thought should be opened are still shut, and I don't see anything happening at the moment, I have a confident expectation that God is at work, and has already made provision for the promises He has given me in the past. To Him, it is already done, because He is not bound by the restraints of time and space as we are. My challenge is to write His words on my heart, and move forward in the flow of His promises and past victories. Great gains take time and nothing monumental happens overnight. My task is to run this race with perseverance as one participating in a marathon and not a sprint. So come on-grab on to your promises, gather up yesterday's miracles and run with me!
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