Deuteronomy 11:8-12 – Live in total dependence on God

The new generation of the children of Israel was now on the verge of entering the promised land. Moses’ earlier recollection of all that God had done for their fathers was to challenge them to trust and obey the Lord. He wanted them to know that God’s grace had been showered on their fathers and would surely follow them if they keep faith with God. Deuteronomy 11:8-9 showed them what they must do. They must keep God’s instructions taught to them. When they do so they would be enabled to take possession of the promised land and to live there for a long time. Moses reminded them that the land they were going to possess was God’s promise to their fathers and to them. It would be a land flowing with milk and honey and would be decidedly different from Egypt where they were delivered from.

In Egypt, the lives of the Israelites though hard were predictable. Pharoah had settled them in Goshen, an area where irrigation was a natural and usual feature due to the regular flooding of the River Nile. Hence, they could sow their seeds and cultivate their area like a vegetable garden. But now they would be entering the promised land. Unlike the region of the Nile, the promised land was a land of hills and valleys. The source of water would be from the rain. However, they could take heart because God cares for the land and watches over it throughout the year.

From Deuteronomy 11:8-12, we cannot get away from the fact that God wanted the Israelites to live in daily dependence on Him. In Egypt, they did not have to be concerned about where the water would come from. They just waited for the Nile to overflow. But not so in the promised land, if God did not send the rain, they would have no supply of water. So they would have to look to God constantly. While they would have to put in the fair share of work by tilling and sowing, they would need God to supply the rain.

The lesson for us is the same. God is also asking us to live in dependence on Him. We must understand that He is the true source in our lives. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. Primarily God is the source and supplier of all our needs. Our employers and people who bless us are God-sent resources. Ultimately, all that we need come from God.  Like the Israelites, we take heart because God cares for us and will take care of us. If He cares for the lower order of His creation such as sparrows and the grass of the field, He will certainly take care of us, the higher order of His creation. This is the assertion of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:25-32. So we take courage and cast all our cares on Him, for He cares for us! Trusting God helps us to take Him at His Word as we take the next step. He will never fail us!