Wilderness Training
For many years now I have had a rhythm of reading through the Bible slowly, a chapter/day, sometimes two. When I get to the end, I start over. It's not a sophisticated method, but it gets the job done. I'm currently in the book of Deuteronomy (I successfully made it through Leviticus and Numbers!), and it has been an intriguing perspective for me this time around. My church, it just so happens, (shout out to Fellowship Bible Church of NWA!) is going through a series in the book of Exodus. What is interesting is that in many ways Deuteronomy is a commentary on the book of Exodus, so as my church studies Exodus I am also hearing Moses' perspective as he looks back on Israel's journey. Yesterday, I read Deuteronomy 8, a look back on the wilderness journey of Israel and the wisdom learned for the future. Here's what made that experience blog-worthy to me:
It is pretty common to think of the wilderness as a time of refining and growth. What stood out to me in this passage is how Moses broke down the WAYS in which the wilderness refined the Israelites and the purposes for the refining.
Verse 2... Remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you in the wilderness...
Moses begins by reminding us to remember HOW Yahweh led us in the wilderness. Why is this important? Because as we recognize the themes of God's leadership in the wilderness we begin to see what is important to him. The areas he keeps leading us through again and again. For Israel it was trust, trust, trust... will you trust me with food, with water, with protection, with my wisdom, with battle strategies, with knowing when to go and when to wait? As I look back on my own wilderness journey I see God's leadership into facing weaknesses, perfectionism, fear of vulnerability, learning to forgive and trusting God's goodness in suffering. If you look back over your wilderness seasons, how do you see God's leadership during those times? What was he showing you about his character and your need? This is SO important because as we see God's way in the wilderness we can continue to submit those areas to him and hang on to what he's taught us.
The lessons in the wilderness...
2 "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors 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. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."
I also believe that in all wilderness seasons there are some common elements that God is teaching us. Here he says he led the Israelites into humility, exposing what was in their hearts. Any season of suffering will reveal what is in our hearts. It is in suffering that our ways of coping, hiding and defending break down, and at some point we will no longer be able to hide what is going on underneath the surface. God uses the wilderness to expose what is in our hearts so that we can be healed. This is a grace because when we can no longer hide our weaknesses and sin, we have the opportunity to bring those places to the Father for healing. In humility we learn that we are accepted even in our imperfection.
God also humbled the Israelites by CAUSING them to hunger. Once the Israelites experienced hunger, they had a choice. They could either go to God to supply their need and trust him with it, or rebel and try to meet their need on their own. God wanted them to go on the journey of trust, that even when they felt the lack of something, that HE was enough: "to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." As you think about your own wilderness, have there been ways in which you HUNGER and it seems God is not meeting that need? How would it change your perspective to think that God is teaching you that "Debbie does not live on (fill in the blank) alone, but on everything that God is saying to her."
And finally, Moses admonishes the Israelites to "Know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you." Moses didn't just tell them that God was disciplining them. He wanted them to KNOW in their HEARTS. Why? Because this would protect them from bitterness and rebellion, from the temptation to believe that God is mean and spiteful. If we believe that God's leadership is based on punishment, revenge or carelessness, we will never trust him. What a difference to really know in our hearts that God is a good father who trains us (disciplines us) for our good. Verse 16 says, He brought you through the wilderness "that he might humble you and test you, to do good for you in the end." Viewing the sometimes unpleasant activity of God in our lives (Why am I still freakin single???) as discipline and training from a wise and good father will protect us from bitterness and rebellion in the midst of the pain. Instead of pushing God away in those times, we will be able to go to him for help, wisdom and comfort when things get hard.
In the following verses, Moses talks about the outcome of the wilderness journey. Stay tuned...
It is pretty common to think of the wilderness as a time of refining and growth. What stood out to me in this passage is how Moses broke down the WAYS in which the wilderness refined the Israelites and the purposes for the refining.
Verse 2... Remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you in the wilderness...
Moses begins by reminding us to remember HOW Yahweh led us in the wilderness. Why is this important? Because as we recognize the themes of God's leadership in the wilderness we begin to see what is important to him. The areas he keeps leading us through again and again. For Israel it was trust, trust, trust... will you trust me with food, with water, with protection, with my wisdom, with battle strategies, with knowing when to go and when to wait? As I look back on my own wilderness journey I see God's leadership into facing weaknesses, perfectionism, fear of vulnerability, learning to forgive and trusting God's goodness in suffering. If you look back over your wilderness seasons, how do you see God's leadership during those times? What was he showing you about his character and your need? This is SO important because as we see God's way in the wilderness we can continue to submit those areas to him and hang on to what he's taught us.
The lessons in the wilderness...
2 "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors 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. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."
I also believe that in all wilderness seasons there are some common elements that God is teaching us. Here he says he led the Israelites into humility, exposing what was in their hearts. Any season of suffering will reveal what is in our hearts. It is in suffering that our ways of coping, hiding and defending break down, and at some point we will no longer be able to hide what is going on underneath the surface. God uses the wilderness to expose what is in our hearts so that we can be healed. This is a grace because when we can no longer hide our weaknesses and sin, we have the opportunity to bring those places to the Father for healing. In humility we learn that we are accepted even in our imperfection.
God also humbled the Israelites by CAUSING them to hunger. Once the Israelites experienced hunger, they had a choice. They could either go to God to supply their need and trust him with it, or rebel and try to meet their need on their own. God wanted them to go on the journey of trust, that even when they felt the lack of something, that HE was enough: "to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." As you think about your own wilderness, have there been ways in which you HUNGER and it seems God is not meeting that need? How would it change your perspective to think that God is teaching you that "Debbie does not live on (fill in the blank) alone, but on everything that God is saying to her."
And finally, Moses admonishes the Israelites to "Know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you." Moses didn't just tell them that God was disciplining them. He wanted them to KNOW in their HEARTS. Why? Because this would protect them from bitterness and rebellion, from the temptation to believe that God is mean and spiteful. If we believe that God's leadership is based on punishment, revenge or carelessness, we will never trust him. What a difference to really know in our hearts that God is a good father who trains us (disciplines us) for our good. Verse 16 says, He brought you through the wilderness "that he might humble you and test you, to do good for you in the end." Viewing the sometimes unpleasant activity of God in our lives (Why am I still freakin single???) as discipline and training from a wise and good father will protect us from bitterness and rebellion in the midst of the pain. Instead of pushing God away in those times, we will be able to go to him for help, wisdom and comfort when things get hard.
In the following verses, Moses talks about the outcome of the wilderness journey. Stay tuned...
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