#2 - God, my king, thy might confessing
#175 - Man of sorrows
#258 - The Spirit breathes upon the word
#716 - Showers of blessing
#317 - Almighty God, thy word is cast
#7 - Now Blessed be the Lord your God
Words of assurance: Isaiah 54:7-8
For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compass I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on You,'' says the LORD, your Redeemer.
Scripture reading: Deut. 8:1-20
Some times you are living your life, things change. Sometimes that change is difficult.
God had been leading the people through the wilderness, 40 years of wandering as the adults died of for their disobedience. It was a difficult time for them, and now God brings them to a change in their lives. He is about to bring them into a land where life would not be a constant struggle.
But God says , this too will be a struggle. You will need to remember for follow the Lord your God.
God tells them how they might to tempted to turn from God.
In the land of plenty it is easy to forget God.
How to forget God
1. not remembering what he has done
40 years of care: food, clothes, protecting, leading, providing all their needs.
We need to see what all God has done for us. Even to sending his Son for the punishment I deserve.
We so Ned to remember so that our hearts will be lifted up to him.
When one has abundance, it is easy to forget who God truly is. It is so easy then to think of what you yourself has done...when in reality it is what God has done.
God, he is the one who provides all my needs.
God wants us to remember what he has done for us.
Remembering what God has done helps us to turn in praise to him, to not focus on what WE have done, but more on what God has done.
It is so easy to turn it into what we have done and to forget God, particularly if we are in a time of plenty. It is just so easy to see "our" stuff and to forget the "God stuff" and it's the God stuff that just makes everything else worthwhile.
2. not doing what he commands of us.
3. going after other gods
4. simply forgetting who he is completely