https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Deuteronomy+8
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 30 April 2025:
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.
God uses challenges to test your heart, not that He doesn’t know your heart (He knows it through and through) but so that the truth of your heart would be revealed to you. When faced with challenges, examine your heart from the integrity of your behavior. Do you act less loving when you are stressed? Do you become more selfish when resources seem limited? God wants you to see the truth of you so that you can grow to be more like Jesus and closer to Him. You cannot fix what you refuse to see; honesty with self and with others (humility) is the first step to change.
“God allows us to suffer difficulties and hardships for a purpose. God led the children of Israel to wander through the wilderness for forty years in order to humble them and test them. When they refused to obey Him and enter the Promised Land, the Israelites revealed that they did not really know Him. If they had, they would have had more faith. God spent the next forty years testing the hearts of His people to see if they were prepared for His next assignment. Testing reveals what is in your heart and can also build incredible faith in those who trust and obey God through trials and experience first-hand the assurance of His faithfulness and providence (James 1:3, 12). God allowed His people to hunger so they could experience His provision and develop a deeper level of trust in Him. As the people walked with God they came to understand that their lives depended upon His word. They learned that God’s word was the most important thing they had. After depending on God for forty years while living in the desert, the people listened when God spoke, and they believed. When they finally entered the Promised Land and waged war against their enemies, the Israelites knew that God’s word meant life and death. They were prepared to listen to Him, and as a result He led them to an astounding victory.
Is God presently testing you in some area of your life? What has His testing revealed? Have you become bitter toward God because of where He has led you? Or have you come to trust Him more as a result of what you have gone through?” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Deuteronomy 8:3 — And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
With grace, God gives you Holy Spirit power that you did not have before to empower change. When we see the truth of our sin, we can rejoice knowing that we are no longer trapped by our sin, that God gives us the power to change, supernatural power, far beyond mere will power. Ultimately, you cannot change yourself. Though you must work to change, it is the Holy Spirit within you that enables change.
Jesus quoted this verse in the wilderness when tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:4), affirming that spiritual sustenance is more essential than physical. Christians must seek God’s Word daily as their true source of life, nourishment, and guidance. Dependence on God’s Word is not theoretical—it is vital and sustaining.
Deuteronomy 8:5 — Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.
Often, God is using circumstances to discipline you, to show you something you refused to see merely through reading, understanding, and applying His clear word. For example, if you simply refuse to obey God’s clear command to forgive unconditionally, He may place you in a situation where you need unconditional forgiveness.
God’s discipline is not punitive but parental. For Christians trials are actually evidence of God’s love, not His anger. Christians are to interpret hardship not as abandonment, but as instruction from a loving Father refining their faith and character.
Deuteronomy 8:10 — And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Gratitude is commanded here, especially in times of abundance. Christians are reminded to not take blessings for granted or become spiritually complacent when life is comfortable. A thankful heart acknowledges that every good gift comes from above (James 1:17), and gratitude protects against the pride that success can bring.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14 — Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery….
Christians are tested through hard times, but perhaps tested even more through easy times. We can turn blessings into curses through complacency and disobedience. Do you pray to God more during hard times than good times? Do you grow closer to God through hard times than good times? If so, perhaps God needs to keep you in difficult circumstances for you to accomplish your life purpose of knowing Jesus and being one with Him. If you want good times, be faithful and trustworthy in good times.
The warning in verses 11–14 is sobering: Prosperity can dull spiritual sensitivity and lead to self-reliance. Christians must remain vigilant, especially in seasons of plenty, to keep their hearts soft and humble before God. Forgetting God leads to spiritual ruin.
Deuteronomy 8:17, 18 — Beware lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.” You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
A very common mistake made by Christians is growing prideful in God’s blessings. When you succeed, don’t think it is because of how great you are. Don’t take any credit for your accomplishments — always point to Jesus.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 30 April 2025: Develop and maintain a daily habit of remembering and depending on God through His Word and prayer—especially in seasons of success and comfort.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 