The biblical storyline unfolds as Moses–in the book of Deuteronomy–continues to remind a new generation of God’s people that their being chosen was based upon God’s previous promises, that God goes before them to prepare the way for their promised land, and that God has made it abundantly clear how–through obedience to His Law–they will remain in His favor and national blessing. Now, Moses is about to make another thing very plain–practically speaking–regarding the built-in trust factor associated with the land that is promised to them…
“For the land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden. But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven…”
Deuteronomy 11:10-11
Geographically speaking, the promised land–Israel–has built-in handicaps and obstacles requiring God’s people to trust Him. Water is essential to life. Without water we don’t have decomposition…without water we don’t have the transfer of minerals and nutrients to plants…without water there is no life. Unlike their experience in Egypt, where the Nile River provided the water that sustained life, the people of God–in their promised land–will have to trust God for water. The water will not come from the irrigations systems–per se–but instead from the rains that fall from the heavens. In other words, their only hope for food to grow and feed their population in the promised land is in God’s providing rain–period.
Moses goes on to write…
“It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-16
Notice…
- The “if” condition…
- God’s placing of His people in a land where rain comes from the heavens means they will have to trust Him to provide. And so, the rain will be provided “if” they obey Him.
- In other words, their obedience to God’s Law is like turning on a spigot that sends the rains.
- Therefore, their abundance will point directly to God’s hand responding to their obedience, and their famine will point directly to God’s hand bringing a curse for their disobedience.
- That Israel must maintain an honest heart…
- God’s interest is always the heart. He knows that the heart is what needs to be pure and honest in order for true obedience to occur.
- The problem is–as with all humans–the heart is not only easily deceived, but is deceptive itself. The cause? Disobedience…
- Therefore, the heart must be changed…
This is yet another reason why Christ Had to Die… Just like Israel of old, our hearts are deceptive and deceived. Like them, we still need a new heart. Glory to God…Christ came so that we could have new hearts…His grace through our faith! Glory!
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- Being in fellowship with God means we still have to trust Him…
- God doesn’t just stop His requirements of trust and obedience. The differences between the Old and New testaments certainly don’t include that as part of following and being in fellowship with Him. The difference then is in the fact that we couldn’t obey and we couldn’t trust, and so God sent Christ to obey and to trust. Therefore, we don’t trust our obedience, but rather Christ’s.
- In other words, we not only transfer our trust from ourselves to obey to Christ in coming to a point of salvation, but also for daily life. His grace is sufficient to save, as well as sufficient to teach us how to live in obedience.
- Therefore, our first and remaining response to life is prayer–the act of complete surrender, vulnerability, and trust.
- Even though–by grace through faith in the person and work of Christ–we have new hearts, we remain dependent and in need of His grace to obey…
- Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” Paul–and us–find our strength in weakness.
- In other words, the paradox of the Christian life is that our strength doesn’t appear in our intrinsic abilities, but in our ability to concede to God’s ability through us. That’s why He sent the Spirit…that’s why we had to be changed from within…that’s why He gifted each of His followers with spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ–the Church.
- Therefore, the Christian lives in a state of understanding weakness and dependence upon God.
- God’s provision may not be in the here and now, but is certainly in the what’s to come…
- Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul had a faraway gaze to heaven.
- In other words, Paul understood that though he be chained in prison for preaching Christ, the Word of God remains unchained, and that his reward is to come. How many Christians die (or have died) hungry, thirsty, in poverty, in chains, in suffering? God did not pull them out of their suffering in this world (and He may not pull us out of our suffering either), but He does promise that He will reward our (and their) faithfulness to Him and His cause.
- Therefore, we live with the knowledge that–even though no man sees–God sees and God rewards.
May we, like the apostle Paul of old and the faithful followers of Christ before us, rely upon, trust in, and place our faith in the finished work of Christ on our behalf–everyday, and testify that His grace is sufficient. Amen.
— November 9, 2018