https://odb.org/2026/10/12/what-god-has-done
Deuteronomy 8:10–18 (NIV): 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Dan Wallace teaches Greek and travels the world cataloguing ancient manuscripts. At the height of his career, he caught encephalitis, a disease that causes the brain to swell. He survived, though he lost most of his memory, including his knowledge of foreign languages. Yet he persisted and returned to the classroom. Dan says, “I had to relearn Greek, and I taught myself Greek using the textbook that I myself had published the year before!” It’s strange to learn Greek from yourself, but it’s not unusual to learn the same truths over again. This is why God gave us Deuteronomy. Its name means “second law,” a fitting title for a book that reviews the laws and commands given by God in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy gives the Ten Commandments again (ch. 5) and repeatedly urges God’s people to remember how He delivered them from Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and brought them to the promised land. (Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Bread 12th October 2026)
“Remembering” is a surprisingly central theme in Scripture. The Israelites were to remember God’s faithfulness in the past since it would serve as the basis for trusting His future faithfulness (Deuteronomy 8:10-18). More than simple recollection, biblical remembering involves active obedience. Our unfaithfulness is how we “forget” His faithfulness (vv. 11, 14). Thankfully, even when we do forget, God always “remembers” His promises to His loved ones. (Tim Laniak, Insight, Our Daily Bread 12th October 2026)
When we were struggling to make ends meet, we cried out to God to help us go through life, to face the challenges and struggles of our jobs and commitments. The day will come when our difficult times will be a thing of the past, perhaps even a distant memory. Thus it is important that we do not forget God in our success, after we have established ourselves, crafted a reputation for ourselves and accumulated some wealth.
That is the lesson in Deuteronomy 8:12-14, that when we have eaten and are satisfied, have settled down in our fine houses and our flocks have grown and our silver and gold have increased that we become proud and forget about God. The pride of life, of our success, makes us forget our origins, our struggles in the past, especially God’s grace, providence and provision throughout those difficult times. That is why Scripture always remind the Israelites that they were previously slaves in Egypt and how God raised Moses to deliver them from the Pharaoh, the most powerful on the known earth then. How the LORD led and fed them throughout the 40 years in the wilderness and finally through Joshua and Caleb brought them back to the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the Promised Land of Canaan.
For us believers, as we pass through the middle mark of our existence here on earth and inch towards eternal life, remember not only God but also the people that helped and encouraged us to grow in our spiritual walk. Our teachers, mentors and leaders of the past – it was through their efforts, direct and indirect, that we are who we are in the world today and in the faith.
Have a good week ahead, everyone! May we persevere in this journey of faith, fervently and faithfully, fulfilling God’s plans and purposes for our lives in Christ that we will reach the finish line with our faith intact and our fire burning strong in the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!
