A Good Land

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

​This scripture passage is a warning to the Israelites to not forget about God as they enter into “the good land” that was promised them. They just made it through the wilderness where they struggled and survived many challenges like hunger, thirst, extreme heat and cold, lack of shelter, and being lost. Their faith experienced a lot of ups and downs even when they experienced miracles. They questioned, doubted, and accused Moses for putting them in this situation when things got tough. When they reached Mount Sinai, they came around and vowed to trust God as they entered into a covenant together. Yet, not long after, their impatience won out, and they tried to create a worship experience that ended up breaking their covenant with God. Nevertheless, the time had come for them to go to the land of Canaan.
 
Canaan was “the good land,” a prosperous land with lots of resources. Compared to the desert wilderness they had been in for forty years, where they had known strife and struggle, living in this land would seem as if their troubles were over. All of their hard work to survive and their perseverance would pay off. Moses reminds them that God is the one who is bringing them into this good land. “Your own hand” did not bring you to this place of prosperity. When things are good, don’t think that you made this goodness happen.
 
When things are going well, we think that we are bringing about the good, and we may barely pause to thank God because we think we are the ones making this happen. But when things aren’t going well, we are quick to turn to God and pray for God to work things out. When we’re in the trenches of life, we feel out of control and powerless. Yet, Moses reminds us that we’re out of control and powerless in prosperity too. Yes, God works through us, to do good, but it’s God whom we should thank instead of ourselves.
 
This scripture is a good ego-check during this week of Thanksgiving. We will pause in gratitude for our blessings. We will gather with family and friends around the table to give thanks for the bounty of food and drink filling our tables. Let us not forget that these gifts come from God. No matter how hard we worked or the long hours we worked to provide for such abundance, let us not say to ourselves, “My power and might have gotten me this wealth.” For it is God who gives us power to get wealth (v.18). God holds the power in the bad and in the good. God is the one who is bringing us into “a good land,” a good place, where we can humbly thank God for consistently being present in our lives. 
 
Reflection questions:
What “bad land” is God bringing you out of?
What “good land” is God bringing you into?
Have you seen God’s hand in both?
When have you prayed for God’s help, then forgot to thank God when you received it? How can you remember to thank God in the good times too?
Where do you need to check your ego?
 
Action: Make a list of good things that you know are gifts from God, that you couldn’t have manifested for yourself. Thank God for these every day.