THE ISRAELITES God's Chosen People
IN DEUTERONOMY, GOD REMINDED his chosen people that he still loved them—even after many years of difficulty, rebellion, and suffering. For the Israelites, their lives had been defined by difficulty for forty years. Sometimes when we walk in a dark wilderness of suffering, we forget what we learned in the light before life was hard.
Whether we have lived with suffering for a long time or only for a brief season, we need to remember the goodness and promises of God. Our heavenly Father so loves his children that he often reminds us of the blessings we have through him. It’s easy to understand how the Israelites might have questioned God’s goodness after so many years of hardship. Their parents and grandparents had been slaves in Egypt when God chose to deliver them from bondage with mighty signs and wonders. He dramatically rescued them from the army of Pharaoh and provided for their every need. But time and time again, the Israelites demonstrated that they were taking his gracious provision for granted.
We are given a choice about whether or not we will trust God
How much we are like the Israelites. God redeems us and provides for us; yet we can become obstinate when life continues to be difficult. In Deuteronomy, God is saying in effect, “Yes, the journey can be difficult, but the promises I have made for you are sure. I will bring you home into a land flowing with milk and honey” (see also Exod 3:7-8). The phrase “flowing with milk and honey” was a metaphor for everything good and desirable.
We, too, are given a choice about whether or not we will trust God. When our journey includes suffering and the days are hard, will we continue to believe that God will lead us to the “promised land” of fellowship with him in heaven? There may be days when we feel like giving up and placing our trust in someone or something else. But God continues to demonstrate his love and keep his promises, just as he did for the Israelites.