The Wilderness

I was reading in Deuteronomy, with an attitude of: Oh I hope God gives me something out of that book! I should of read it expecting God to speak to me, nonetheless, he did. Deut 8 what an amazing chapter. It answers many questions a Christian will have if he indeed is trying to follow the Lord.
Sometimes the Lord leads us in the wilderness, a dry, hungry place. It is to humble us to see what’s in our heart. Will we keep God’s commandments in bad times? Do we love God enough in the rough valleys? When we don’t know how we will pay the next bill, or if we’ll ever stop breathing all that carbon monoxide from the smoke of our woodstove and die of lung cancer instead? Or when the van breaks down and the chimney has fallen down the roof or you’re lying in bed with your kids with no heat in the dead of a winter storm night wondering if you’ll fall asleep or even wake up at all?

Deut 8:2,3 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

He suffers us to be hungry sometimes, but he feeds us with manna (God’s Word) to show us we need his word more than meat. Job 23:12 “…I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” To prove to us we can survive in those trials (hunger pangs), if we read and practice God’s Word.
I remember when I was pregnant and 1 hr away from home, boy was I hungry. I had no money and no food on me, but the Lord provided. I never said a thing to a soul but a good Christian brother, bought me a Mcdonald’s hamburger. And though I never ate one in my life or wished too before that moment, I gobbled it down with no problem. Praise God!

Sometimes God leads us through dessert to chastise us. He wants to teach us to fear Him and walk in His ways.
But then (my favorite part): vs7-9 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, …a land of.. water..oil of olive..honey.. eat bread without scarceness…
No dry brown water from the well! No more walking into the house as if you stepped into a huge walk in freezer and beware lest you touch anything and stick to it!

He WILL take care of us and bless us. We won’t lack anything. (I get unlimited supply of pure olive oil shipped from Greece). He does it because when we are full (vs. 10) we will be thankful to God we will appreciate His goodness more. We will be motivated to serve Him.
But when we have eaten and are full and built goodly houses (thank God for my new home!) Beware! Let us not forget all the goodness God has given us and be thankful always.