YAG I: Book of Deuteronomy – Vanessa Quek
Remembering God and His Works
Initially when Pastor Mitch told YAG I that we would be learning from Deuteronomy 32 for the next 5 months, I questioned how relevant and applicable this passage would be for me. But as he expounded each verse and section, I began to see that these lessons from Deuteronomy 32 are like a mirror, reflecting blemishes that need removing. But unlike a blemish that can be clearly seen, I recognise that sin is a hidden thing that can go easily unnoticed unless I check my heart candidly. Furthermore, the need to urgently deal with sin before its corruption spreads, is equally crucial.
The Lesson on Remembering
In Deuteronomy 32:7, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations”, we were challenged to remember and consider what the LORD has done in our lives.
From Deuteronomy 32:7–12, we read of how God was involved in the lives of the people. God gave His inheritance to the nations and He gave the people the land of Canaan. They were God’s portion and His inheritance. God kept watch over Israel, finding him in the desert, encircling him and instructing him. God carried Israel as an eagle would its young and He led Israel.
Yet, with all the abundance and goodness that God blessed Israel with (Deuteronomy 32:13–14), indulgence led him to forsake God, scornfully esteem God, and provoke God to jealousy and anger. He became unmindful of God and forgot God.
My Personal Thoughts
Reading this passage brought two main thoughts.
First, I really needed to take time to trace God’s involvement in my life. If not, the years would simply pass by and I would have forgotten all of God’s goodness. So, as I took time to sit down and recall, I began to remember the significant milestones where God specially revealed Himself to me. There were times God had kept watch over me, protected and led me. There were also times when God had to teach and chasten me. I could also number the many blessings that God had blessed me with, since my schooling years to now being a young working adult.
Second, if I were to be honest with myself, there were times when I had forgotten God. But not in the sense that I don’t remember God entirely nor what God has done for me. Rather, in the moments when worries and doubts creep into my heart and I let unbelief cause my heart to waver. Some of these worries and doubts could be related to work, such as “What if despite working hard and achieving success, I still won’t be noticed or rewarded for my efforts?”, or related to life, like “What if I cannot afford all that I need for my future?”, and even service, such as “Would I be able to remain a faithful and press on or would I give up?“. In these moments, I was not mindful of God, His sovereignty, power, omniscience and that He is God Almighty. I had forgotten that He is a God of the impossible, demonstrating His power during situations in the past I had deemed hopeless. Moreover, I had also neglected to recall the instances when God graciously provided for my physical needs in the past, causing me to doubt His provision for my future. I was relying on my own strength and will, instead of remembering that it is God who works in me both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
So then, what can I do practically so that I will remember God?
Some of the baby steps I’m seeking to cultivate is to read God’s Word daily. Time spent with God is an essential first step to know Him and to deepen my relationship with Him. I’m also seeking to single out verses that I want to memorise. So, when I catch such worries and doubts creeping into my mind again, the Word of God will be there to put me back on track. Another is to write down key moments when God had specially revealed Himself to me, so I can look back and remember.