Scripture:
Deuteronomy 6:16–19
Do not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17 You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. 18 Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give you, 19 thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. (NRSVUE)
Observation:
Over and over again, the Israelites are reminded of incidents that happened in the wilderness. Here Moses specifically mentions Massah. The people had found themselves without water and questioned whether God was really with them. They had already experienced God’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt, but when circumstances became difficult, they struggled to trust Him for what came next.
Now they are preparing to enter a new land. Just before these verses, Moses tells them that God will bring them into a land with cities they didn’t build, houses filled with things they didn’t provide, cisterns they didn’t dig, and vineyards and olive groves they didn’t plant. God’s provision will be all around them.
Interestingly, there is danger in both places. In the wilderness, they could question whether God was with them because they didn’t have enough. In the promised land, they could forget God because they had plenty.
The covenantal response of the Israelites is to “diligently keep the commandments of the LORD.” God has already acted on their behalf, and they are called to respond by faithfully living as His people. They are to trust the God who has brought them this far and follow Him into what lies ahead.
Application:
It’s one of those mistakes newlyweds make.
I thought I’d bake chocolate chip cookies for my husband. I was a pretty decent cook and baker, but we came from different backgrounds. My mother was a solid-cookie baker, while his mother was a soft-cookie baker.
I baked the cookies and was quite proud of myself, but then I made a fatal mistake. I wanted to know whether he liked them, but instead of asking him that question, I asked, “Are they like your mother’s?”
Now, I asked that because I knew he loved his mother’s cookies.
I think, in that moment, I put him in a bind. How do you answer that question?
They were NOT like his mother’s cookies.
He answered honestly, and my feelings were hurt.
I wanted him to be pleased with the cookies I had baked, and yet part of the problem was that I had asked the wrong question. Instead of simply receiving the cookies for what they were, suddenly we were comparing them with something else.
Maybe we’ve all been in that spot where we’ve given someone something and then heard about how it wasn’t quite what they wanted.
I wonder how often we do that with God.
The Israelites had experienced God’s provision over and over again, but when the journey didn’t look the way they expected, they questioned whether God was really with them. Massah wasn’t simply about being thirsty. Their question went much deeper: “Is the LORD among us or not?”
That’s the real issue.
There may be times in life when our circumstances aren’t to our liking. Detours are uncomfortable. Things don’t turn out the way we imagined they would. The question is whether we will remain in faithful relationship with God along the way.
Even during forty years in the wilderness, God continued to care for His people. He didn’t abandon them in the detour.
My dad used to talk about God’s Plan B. We can be terribly disappointed that what we thought was Plan A didn’t work out, but God is still present in Plan B. Sometimes Plan B may even become more fulfilling than what we imagined Plan A would have been.
Don’t ruin Plan B by your bad attitude.
Maybe that’s another way of hearing Moses’ words. Don’t allow disappointment with the journey to make you question the faithfulness of the One who is leading you.
And there’s another side to it. When you arrive at the place of abundance—when you’re living in the house, drinking from the cistern, and eating from the vineyard—don’t forget where the gift came from.
Trust God when there isn’t enough.
Remember God when there is plenty.
And receive His gifts with gratitude.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
God loves and cares for you today.
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. When circumstances change or the journey takes an unexpected detour, keep me from questioning Your presence and faithfulness. And when You provide abundantly, keep me from forgetting that every good gift comes from You. Help me to remain faithful to what You have called me to do and be. Amen.
Leave a comment