2 “Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, “You have seen with your own eyes everything the Lord did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to his whole country— 3 all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear! 5 For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he provided for you so you would know that he is the Lord your God.”
Understanding, seeing, and hearing are three things I believe we can all agree we need to fully grasp the what, where, and whys of life. In verse 5 of this chapter, the Lord says that over the 40 years in the desert their clothes did not wear out, nor did their sandals wear out. God did this to show them that he is the Lord God and to follow him only.
Funny thing is that I don’t think anyone was marveling about how their clothes did not wear out, and the Bible does not mention anyone in shock over their sandals never wearing out. The 40 years in the desert were to show the Israelites that the Lord is God alone and to drive the Egypt out of them. Under Egypt, the Israelites were a nation enslaved; the 40 years they spent in the desert were a lesson in how to become God’s people, obeying everything the Lord was instructing them to do.
Verse 4 reminds me of my understanding, seeing, and hearing in times of trials. If my focus is not on the Lord, renewed every morning by prayer and reading his word, then I revert to complaining and grumbling just like the Israelites.
Every day we should all pray, “Lord, open my mind to your understanding, my eyes to see what you see, and my ears to hear only your voice. Amen”. Jesus overcame temptation from Satan in the desert by repeating the word of God back to him.
How often do we use tools powerless over temptation and wonder why we do not overcome? The Bible says that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Good workers have all the right tools and know how to use all of them when the time comes. The word of God is your toolbox for understanding, seeing, and hearing from God; use it.
Prayer: Father, help me to use the toolbox you have given me, which is the word of the Lord, the Bible. I pray that in it I will find the Holy Spirit speaking to me and teaching me all you have for me. I pray that I realize how much you have guided me in my life, even in times of trials, in Jesus’ name, amen.
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