Note: This article is divided into two parts. It would be helpful to the readers to study this material in its entirety in order to gain comprehensive understanding of God's wonderful lessons for His children from Deuteronomy 8:2.
Lesson One
GOD'S PASSION FOR OUR HUMILITY
Deuteronomy 8:2, "And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, THAT HE MIGHT HUMBLE YOU, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not."
After delivering the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, one important attitude God wanted to cultivate in these people was ‘humility’.
God’s passion is the same even for those who are delivered from the bondage of sin and have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He desires to teach us humility and to keep us humble.
Why is God passionate to humble us? It is because by nature we are arrogant.
Although we appear to each other polite and good, the fact is, we are full of pride within. We are born in pride and have grown in pride. Pride is our inherent nature.
Pride does not disappear after our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, it becomes even more evident in our hearts. So God's passion is to break us and keep us humble. He does so by allowing difficult circumstances and difficult people into our lives, which could be called ‘wilderness experience’.
O, we cannot be Christ's followers and yet cherish and nourish pride in us! God cannot let that happen. He loves us so much that He will not let pride ruin us. He is passionate to see us walk in humility, which is a blessed calling of His beloved children.
The Lord spoke in His Word, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.” (Mic. 6:8)
Therefore, in view of God's love and our depraved nature, let us humbly submit to our Lord's rod of discipline. Let Him mold us as humble vessels on the wheel of affliction. Let us become humble followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lesson Two
BLESSINGS WITHOUT HUMILITY IS A CURSE
Deuteronomy 8:2, "And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, THAT HE MIGHT HUMBLE YOU, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not."
The Living God earnestly desired to give the Promised Land to the people of Israel. However, He wanted to teach His people humility before fulfilling His promise. And He took them through the wilderness journey for forty years.
The reason God took the Israelites through the wilderness is not to make their lives miserable; He did this to teach them humility. The purpose of suffering is not to make our lives miserable; it is to make us humble.
Why?
Blessings without humility would do more damage than good. Blessings without humility would take us away from God. Blessings without humility makes us arrogant in our relationship with others. Blessings without humility makes us more self-centered. Blessings without humility is a curse.
Sadly, even in these forty years, many Israelites did not learn humility and perished in the wilderness. They wanted just blessings, not humility.
We all want blessings. We love to be blessed. But humility is our greater need than blessings. God is more concerned about our character than about our comforts.
Therefore, let us pray more for humility. Let us seek humility. Let us walk in humility.
Lesson Three
MARK OF HUMILITY
Deuteronomy 8:2, "And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, THAT HE MIGHT HUMBLE YOU, testing you to know what was in your heart, WHETHER YOU WOULD KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS OR NOT."
We have learned that God took the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years in order to teach them humility. But what is humility? What happens when a person is humbled? What is the mark of humility?
The Scripture says that God humbled the people of Israel through the wilderness experience to know whether they would keep His commandments or not.
Humility isn’t essentially about simple appearance, tender conduct, and polite conversation. All these can be faked externally, although internally we are full of pride.
Humility is fundamentally OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WORD. A humble person is willing to obey God at any cost, honestly admit his sins and weaknesses, live a transparent life, submit himself to the exhortation and admonition by others, and make every effort to glorify God through his obedience to His Word.
Inevitably, this humility is tested in the wilderness. We know how some seemingly soft persons possess a hardened heart. When situations become difficult, they manifest wild behaviour and despise to obey God's Word. It is in the wilderness that their true nature is exposed.
Let us, therefore, prove to be faithfully humble in the wilderness. Let us not manifest stiff-necked attitude in difficulties. Let us fear God and obey His Word at all times, for this is the mark of true humility.
Lesson Four
DOES GOD TAKE US THROUGH DIFFICULTIES?
Deuteronomy 8:2, "And you shall remember the whole way that THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS LED YOU THESE FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not."
Many suppose that God is so loving that He will not take us through difficulties, and any suffering that we face is from the devil. This is a grave misconception.
The Scripture clearly says that it is the Lord who took the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years. It is not the devil, even Moses. It is the loving God.
Even in the context of Job's suffering, we must know that it is God who gave permission to the devil to take him through the fiery trials. It is God who was in control over Job's life, not the devil.
Some may question, “Why does the loving God take His children through suffering?”
We think, if God is loving, He must always make and keep our lives comfortable. But God thinks that if He is loving, He must develop our character and teach us steadfast obedience. And our character is shaped in suffering. It is written, "Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character" (Rom. 5:3-4).
There are infinite comforts and pleasures in heaven which we will enjoy eternally. But, here on earth, God is focused on cultivating godly character in us by taking us through difficulties. For this reason, the Scripture encourages:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (Jas. 1:2-4).
Lesson Five
ADVERSITY EXPOSES REALITY
Deuteronomy 8:2, "And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, TESTING YOU TO KNOW WHAT WAS IN YOUR HEART, whether you would keep his commandments or not."
When Moses told the people all that the Lord had commanded, all the Israelites responded together, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exo. 19:8).
Did these people really do all that the Lord had commanded? Did they keep their word? Did their talk reflect their walk?
We know they failed in following the Lord. The wilderness journey proved that they only paid lip service to the Lord's commandments.
The Scripture clearly says that the Lord had taken His people through the wilderness to test their obedience. Adversity exposes reality.
Thomas A Kempis said it right, "Adversity does not make us weak; it only shows how weak we are." How true!
Many of us are good at great talk and enthusiastic passion, but it is in suffering that our true commitment to the Lord is manifested.
When Job faced immense suffering (our suffering may not come anywhere close in comparison), the Scripture declares, "In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." (Job 1:22. cf. 2:10)
However, considering the trials of Israel in the wilderness, in all their suffering, they grumbled and sinned against God.
When we go through suffering, do we reflect the attitude of Job or the people of Israel in the wilderness? Does adversity prove us to be faithful or unfaithful disciples? CLICK HERE TO READ PART TWO
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