Deut 8:1-20 1 "Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good. 6 "So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 "But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, 'I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.' 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. 19 "But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God. NLT
The downfall of every man, woman, church and culture is the Lack of Gratitude!
A lack of gratitude is the failure to acknowledge and appreciate people, blessing, and God Lack of Gratitude will cause a person to complain, take people for granted, and have a cynical attitude!
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude: recognizes that all sources of goodness lie outside of oneself and who to thank for it.
Gratitude is the opposite of being a lover of oneself: being grateful requires one to realize that he or she is not the only important person on this planet.
Center of Dease Control……
Gratitude may be the best-kept secret to help reduce stress and feel better. Practicing gratitude every day can improve your physical and emotional well-being along with a stronger immune system.
Social and professional life: Improves relationships and can contribute to academic and professional success.
Mindset: Helps you focus on what you have rather than what you lack.
Gratitude is a quality of being thankful; it is a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Child Training is a necessary Process for an Attitude of Gratitude!
Deut 8:2-5 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
There is great gap between Knowledge, and Maturity! (character)
My dad and construction: I had knowledge but lacked insight in dealing with people!
Prov 4:5-7 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. NKJV (insight, awareness)
Spiritual Maturity develops the awareness of gratitude?
Deut 8:2a 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character,
1. The Wilderness develops our character
Helps you learn from past experiences
It shapes our identity
It helps us make better decisions
It helps you build your own story of gratitude!
1 Cor 13:11-12 1 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. NLT
Deut 8:3b He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
2. The Wilderness teaches us dependence of God
KJV use the word “to prove thee”
To gain “experience”
Luke 2:52 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. NLT
Gratitude helps us have joy in prosperity!
Gratitude: recognizing that the sources of goodness lie outside of oneself and who to thank for it.
Gratitude is the opposite of being a lover of oneself: being grateful requires one to realize that he or she is not the only important person in the world.
Deut 8-18 6 "So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.11 "But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.
Prov 9:10 10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. NKJV
The fear of the Lord is when you have come to place in our life when you understand that God’s truths are meant for your Good, not the Lack thereof!
12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, 'I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.' 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
Gratitude gives us perspective!
Deut 8:17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, 'I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.'
1. My work, God’s favor
God’s principals work for the heathen and the Godly
1 Cor 3:6-8 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. NLT
Action leads to consequence!
Gal 6:7-8 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. NKJV
Deut 8:18a Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful
2. His Power, my success
Phil 4:13 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. KJV
2 Peter 1:3-4 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. NLT
Deut 8:18b in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
3. My success for His Purpose!
Gen 12:1-3 12 The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." NLT
God chose a man to raise up a people to be a blessing the World!
3 John 2-3 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. NKJV
Conclusion: Are we willing to be trained for God’s Favor, Success and Purpose? If so, its starts with recognizing that these things stem from an external source, and are a product of our Gratitude for family, friends, and Ultimately from God!
