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by Bible League International,
Narrated by Artificial Intelligence – Andrew,
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Scripture,
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. – Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV
Devotion,
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 430 years. God saw their burdens and sent Moses to deliver them from Egypt. God led them to the Promised Land—Canaan—the land flowing with milk and honey, but to get to the Promised Land, He led them through the wilderness. It was God’s way to bring His people to Canaan.
When the Israelites started their journey from Egypt, they didn’t expect to go through the wilderness for 40 years. The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land should have taken just two weeks, but it took them nearly 40 years to reach their destination. Many times, they didn’t understand God’s purpose and they murmured against God and Moses. They thought that being a slave in Egypt was far better than this wilderness. But we know that the Promised Land was a fruitful land. Even though they had to struggle in wilderness, the Israelites were finally brought to Canaan.
Wilderness is a period of life where we do not understand what is happening. Sometimes we do not understand why God is leading us through tough times. All of us hope for a safe and smooth way of living in Christian life, but we know that is not promised to us. We have to face ups and downs, we have to face many painful experiences. Sometimes when we are going through the tough times, we may doubt the presence of God in our life. We may feel that God is far away from us.
But in our verse for today, God reminds the Israelites that He led them through the wilderness to know whether they would keep his commandments or not. God always wants to know our heart and He desires obedience from us. Remember what Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Our obedience is a matter of love. We obey the commandments out of love.
William Carey heard God’s voice and decided to come to India as a missionary, but he had grossly underestimated what it would cost to live in India. Carey was forced to move his family repeatedly as he sought employment that could sustain them. Illness racked the family. When Carey himself contracted malaria, then his five-year-old son died of dysentery, it became too much for his wife, Dorothy. Her mental health deteriorated rapidly. She suffered delusions, accusing Carey of adultery, and threatening him with a knife. She eventually had to be confined to a room and physically restrained.
Carey wrote, “I am in a strange land with a large family, and nothing to supply their wants.” But he also retained hope, “Well, I have God, and His word is sure.” He learned Bengali with the help of a pundit, and in a few weeks began translating the Bible into Bengali. Even though he was going through tough times, he translated portions of the Bible into 34 languages, including 6 completed translations of the whole Bible and 23 of the New Testament! He clearly paved the way for the Gospel in my country, India. The world calls him the ‘The Father of Modern Missions.’ Although Carey and his family suffered, God used their obedience.
Let me conclude with a famous quote, “God is not interested in the result of your obedience, but your obedience.” Are you ready to obey Him today?
Inspirational Image of the Day
