Print

DEUTERONOMY 8:2

I. REMEMBER PAST IN RELATION TO GOD.
        A. "How that God brought thee out of "Egypt".
                1. Through old Test. constant reminders to people. (they had special origin)
                2. Through N .T. constant reminders to our deliverance.
                        a. Our every day actions predicated upon fact of new man.
                        b. "Husbands love your wives even as..."
                        c. "Be ye kind one to another."
        B. "All the way, which the Lord our God led thee."
                1. God was guiding in every circumstance.
                        a. Every rough & rugged spot.
                        b. In barren wilderness.
                2. He was leading then to promised land.
                        a. Numbers a backward march. God led them backward that He might
                           lead them forward. He led them circuitously to make them straight.
                3. Let us look back -- darkest or brightest.
                        a. Since first day of walk in His path "all things have been working
                           together."
                        b. God delays in order to speed  -  He denies and we later discover
                           it was His choicest gift. Our disappointments -His appointments.
                        c. Right now some may be in difficulty and cannot see ultimate goal.
        C. God's supply.
                1. Necessities -raiment -bread -water.
                2. God had not failed them.
                3. What good things have you lacked?

II THE LESSON GOD WAS TEACHING.
        A. "That He might humble thee."
                1. Pride most ghastly of all sins.
                        a. Demonstrates ignorance.
                        b. It foreshadows ruin - "pride goeth before."
                2. He made them conscious of dependency on Him.
                        a. He delivered only in extreme hour.
                        b. He rescues when you give up.
                3. Purpose is not to break our spirit & make us slaves, but to free us from
                   that spirit that will ruin us.
        B. He delivers - leads -supplies -that He might prove us.
                1. This does not mean He is trying to learn the truth about you.
                        a. He is trying to teach you the truth about yourself.
                        b. He brings to pass circumstances  that reveal the hidden areas of
                           your life.
                        c. On a sunny day as you sing "I surrender all", there might be
                           rebellion in your heart so He will lead you into a cloudy day to
                           reveal."
                        d. Standing here with the congregation of God's people you may sing
                           out "Stand up, Stand up" and there may be cowardice in your heart.
                        e. Hatred may be in my spirit as I speak on love.
                2. What is God proving? "Man does not live by bread alone."
                        a. Man's extremity is his opportunity to find his true self & in
                           finding self & giving up he finds God's  great unlimited resources.

Ill. THE TRUE BACKWARD LOOK, LOOKS AHEAD.
        A. Forward look one of hope - vs. 7-9.
        B. Warning concerning future days of brightness.
                a. greater peril in prosperity then adversity.
                b. beware of self satisfaction vs. 17
                c. beware of self righteousness vs 9:4