Daily Devotions
Thankfulness & Obedience
Title: Thankfulness & Obedience
Reading for February 23: Deuteronomy 5-8
"And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness..."
Deuteronomy 8:2
There is a connection between obedience and remembrance. You can draw a straight line between gratitude and submission to God. A thankful heart is a submissive heart.
These are the two great themes of the book of Deuteronomy. Over and over Moses urges the people to keep the covenant in the Promised Land, but along with those admonitions was the charge that they not forget what God had done for them in delivering them from Egypt. This connection between remembrance and obedience is so strong, in fact, the Ten Commandments begins with this statement: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." (Deut 5:6)
And so as we begin our day, let's reflect on what God has done for us and to resolve in our hearts that our gratitude will overflow in our hearts in submission to God's will today.
Father, you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. We're living in a land flowing with milk and honey, dwelling in homes we didn't build, eating from vineyards we didn't plant, and drinking from wells we didn't dig. Help us to remember that only in Jesus can we find all of these things we don't deserve. Accept our tribute of praise and help us to honor your love through our submissive obedience to your will.
