Carl Pollard
My wife and I were talking the other night about the ladies’ class she just started teaching at church. During our conversation, we ended up walking through Deuteronomy 6–8, and I was amazed by just how practical and relevant these chapters still are for us today. There’s a lot here that hits close to home. So, here’s what stood out to me.
Israel was standing on the edge of a new life. The generation that left Egypt had largely died in the wilderness, and their children were preparing to enter the land God had promised them. Moses knew he wouldnt cross the Jordan with them, so he used his final days to prepare them for what was ahead.
One of his greatest concerns was forgetfulness.
Israel knew how to depend on God in the wilderness. They had been hungry, thirsty, surrounded by enemies, and completely dependent upon God’s provision. Now they were about to experience something very different. They were going to live in cities they didn’t build, drink from wells they didn’t dig, and eat from vineyards they didn’t plant.
Moses warned them, “Take care lest you forget the LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:12).
The answer to forgetfulness began in the heart. Moses told Israel, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (6:5). Their relationship with God was supposed to shape every part of life. His words were to be on their hearts, taught diligently to their children, and discussed throughout the ordinary routines of the day.
Their children needed to know why they lived this way. When they asked, Moses told the parents to tell them the story, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand” (6:21).
They were to remember where they came from and who brought them out.
Chapter 7 reminds Israel that they belonged to God. They were His “treasured possession” (7:6). God had chosen them because of His love and His faithfulness. When they faced nations stronger than themselves, they were to remember what God had already done to Pharaoh and Egypt. Remembering yesterday’s faithfulness would give them courage for tomorrow.
Then chapter 8 takes the warning even further. Moses tells them to remember the wilderness. God had humbled them, tested them, fed them with manna, and sustained them for forty years. Even the hard years had served a purpose.
Soon their houses would be built, their stomachs would be full, and their possessions would multiply. That success carried its own spiritual danger. Moses warned that they might eventually say, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth” (8:17).
His answer was simple, “You shall remember the LORD your God.”
That message still matters for Christian’s today!
Remember who carried you through the hard years. Remember who provided when you had very little. Remember the prayers He answered and the doors He opened. Remember that even your ability to work, build, earn, and accomplish comes from Him.
And when your children ask why God matters so much to you, tell them the story! Tell them about the God who brought you here.
