Deuteronomy 32:5-6 – Living gratefully

There is a big contrast between Deuteronomy 32:4 and Deuteronomy 32:5. The former speaks of God and refers to Him as the Rock suggesting that He is strong, immovable, and stable and that His work is perfect. On top of that He is said to be just in all His ways, a God of faithfulness and without injustice. In Him are only righteousness and uprightness. In contrast to Him, the children of Israel His covenant people, we are told, were wayward people. They botched their relationship with God by acting corruptly toward Him.

God clearly hinted in verses 5-6 that the children of Israel were ungrateful. Even though they were defective, yet God chose to make them His covenant people. Despite their defective nature, He accepted them. Instead of behaving rightly toward Him, they have shown utter disregard for the privilege that had been accorded them. They spurned His love and acted perversely and crookedly like the rest of the nations.

Instead of being grateful, they had acted foolishly and repaid His kindness toward them with contempt. They had forgotten that they were His covenant people. He became a Father to them. Corporately, as a nation, they became His firstborn son. He was the one who had made them and established them as His people.

From these two verses, we can see the importance of cultivating an attitude of gratitude. When we are grateful, we will recognize God as the source of all the blessings we have in life. Gratitude will also strengthen our relationship with Him for it helps us to see and realize that without Him, we will never amount to much. Don’t just express gratitude in words only. The expression of our gratitude to God is best demonstrated in a life of obedience to Him and His Word. It is the only appropriate action in return!