I want to teach you about the reality of walking with the Lord. The truth is, as we journey with the Lord from bondage to promise; God will always prove and test our motives, attitudes, and memory.
[Deuteronomy 8:1-20 KJV] “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.”
[2] “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. [3] And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. [4] Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. [5] Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.”
[6] “Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. [7] For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; [8] A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; [9] A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.”
[10] “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.”
[11] “Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: [12] Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein ; [13] And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; [14] Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; [15] Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; [16] Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; [17] And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth”.
[18] “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. [19] And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. [20] As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God”.
God will use the bad and evil days to test our motives; God will use the normal and easy days to test our attitude, and He will use the abounding and prospering days to test our memory and gratitude.
It is important to understand that all days are not the same; some days are evil, others are normal, and some are good and better. There are days when you will just be living, and in some seasons you will be multiplying, and yet in some other seasons, you will be going in to possess. There are times when you are not just multiplying but actually penetrating and spreading out. Each season has its own test and I pray that you pass. There is more in God that we are yet to see. Don’t begin to despise everyone just because you can now buy your own food and run your affairs. Always remember and be grateful; don’t ever forget the days when you prayed for the very things you’re despising today; it’s a trap.
Israel spent 40 years on a 40 – day journey because of these 3 things; their pride, their slothful and fearful attitude, and their ingratitude. When God watches how you behave after earning hundreds, He is careful about blessing you with thousands. Remember that every day is a test to pass before you can progress to the next level of Life.
Many people will follow and remain loyal to you as long as they still have use of you. When they find nothing more to derive from you they will not tolerate you. It’s normal. There are many people who are still following God because they have nowhere else to turn. Many are in church today because they have no appointment or date. Many in church will not be here if they had something else to do which they consider more worthwhile. So the same nonsense that people tolerate today will not be tolerated when they see nothing that they can derive.
When the Lord began to walk with Israel, He used the hunger, difficulty, and scarcity to prove and to know them. His motive was not to make them fail, it was to teach them humility and to humble them. Many of us are still facing poverty and scarcity because there is a lot of pride in us.
God uses a normal day to test our attitude. You know how people truly behave when things are normal with them. When they have enough and don’t have to depend on someone else for anything, then you’ll see their true nature. The Bible warns those who are at ease in Zion, “woe to them that are at ease in Zion.” It is a dangerous thing to be at ease, to be experiencing normal days. You must always be diligent and run with vision even on a normal day. You must always follow the vision that has been cast; never be at ease.
Finally, remember God uses abundance and prosperity and having more than enough to prove what in your mind, how well you remember, and how grateful you truly are. I have seen people spite what brought them this far because they have come far and know better now. Listen, when you come far don’t forget that it took grace to bring you that far. Never insult the things that brought you this far. God is proving you by many of the victories you see. Always remember that it is God who gives you the power to make wealth. Don’t forget too quickly! May you never despise the grace and the people that God used to bring you this far.
As we walk with the Lord to the promises of His word there are two main tests you must pass: the test of scarcity and the test of abounding. There is one thing that God hates; pride. God will use scarcity to humble and to prove us, and to know whether we will obey Him or not. He also uses abundance to test whether you will remember that you are what you are but His grace and power and providence or not
Stay blessed; I love you!
Pastor Noah Simpe Bediako
