Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands. Deuteronomy 8:11
Today’s Scripture
Deuteronomy 8:10-18
Listen to Today’s Devotion
Today’s Devotion
Dan Wallace teaches Greek and travels the world cataloguing ancient manuscripts. At the height of his career, he caught encephalitis, a disease that causes the brain to swell. Dan spent the next year in a wheelchair, traveling to five hospitals and the Mayo Clinic. He survived, though he lost most of his memory, including his knowledge of foreign languages. Yet he persisted and returned to the classroom. Dan says, “I had to relearn Greek, and I taught myself Greek using the textbook that I myself had published the year before!”
It’s strange to learn Greek from yourself, but it’s not unusual to learn the same truths over again. This is why God gave us Deuteronomy. Its name means “second law,” a fitting title for a book that reviews the laws and commands given by God in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy gives the Ten Commandments again (ch. 5) and repeatedly urges God’s people to remember how He delivered them from Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and brought them to the promised land. They needed to remember their salvation story, lest their success might make them proud and they’d “forget the Lord . . . [their] God, who brought [them] out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (8:14).
What wilderness has God brought you out of? How has He provided for you? When we pause to think, we have ample reason to thank and praise Him—again and again.
Reflect & Pray
Why is it important to rehearse the Bible’s stories and instructions? What other practices help you to celebrate your salvation?
Dear Jesus, please help me to remember Your story.
Today’s Insights
“Remembering” is a surprisingly central theme in Scripture. The Israelites were to remember God’s faithfulness in the past since it would serve as the basis for trusting His future faithfulness (Deuteronomy 8:10-18). More than simple recollection, biblical remembering involves active obedience. Our unfaithfulness is how we “forget” His faithfulness (vv. 11, 14). Thankfully, even when we do forget, God always “remembers” His promises to His loved ones. The prophet Isaiah reminds God’s people: “Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you” (Isaiah 44:21). Today, as we reflect on God’s faithfulness, we can respond in praise.
For further study, read: Genesis to Revelation
