Remember!

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 

    1 “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. 6 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.
    11 “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
    18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.

Remember.  Remember God’s word.  Remember God’s work.  Remember God!  Israel’s example commanded here by His spokesman to His called out people echoes in our ears also; we are to remember what the Lord said and continues saying in His scriptures to us concerning who He is and of our salvation from due punishment by grace of His work in Christ.   This chapter points out how God tests His people’s hearts after delivering them, and calls them (and us) to constantly reflect back on all His good mercy and grace which brings lasting peace now for we who are in Christ (Romans 5:1).  He humbled them to rely on the bread from heaven in order to teach that we live by more than just the sustenance given for our bodies, bit more importantly for our very life (John 6:51, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4).  He disciplines us on the way to the promised country beyond death, which was for teaching Israel to rely on God alone, and for us is our sanctification.  We all are not to forget our Lord when we have plenty, nor turn against Him when we suffer want (Philippians 4:11), nor should we stop living in obedience to His word once saved from eternal punishment which is well deserved.  Our view should be as stated here, to realize that all we have comes from His almighty and good hand, not our own effort or abilities (which of course also are solely from His grace).  He established His covenants and sets the conditions; then it was to live by doing all the Law (Galatians 2:16), and now the doing is believing His work in Christ (John 6:29).  They and we are to worship no other God, but Him alone through obedience to the gospel which believes who God is, Christ’s work, and our transformation which leads us to follow as He leads us to that heavenly kingdom.  Remember!