Deuteronomy 8 November 1, 2009
“Hey God - Thanks” Part 2
Rev. Meagan Boozer
Last week we started this sermon series on “giving thanks.” We looked at two difference men in the Bible who showed us how to be thankful people: Naaman and the 10th leper. Both men were healed from their leprosy by God, and both took the time to say thank you. Too often, we don’t take the time to say thank you to each other or thank you to God – and that affects the condition of our hearts and the effectiveness of our witness to the world.
I gave you an assignment last week. Everyone who was here was supposed to write the name of someone they wanted to thank on a little card, and then we were asked to follow through. I’m not going to ask how many of you actually completed this assignment, but I was praying all week that many of you would. Personally, I received an in-person thank you, an email thank you, a phone call, and 2 cards in the mail. And do you know what? It didn’t make me feel proud of myself. Those personal thank-you’s humbled me, and caused me to say ‘thank you’ to God for what God enables me and you to do by His power. And this is what we are going to focus on today: Being intentional about remembering that IT IS GOD who works through us, who has brought us to the place we are today, who has strengthened us when we thought we couldn’t take another step, who has filled us with peace in the midst of a storm, who has taken you and me, broken people that we are, and poured his life out for us so that we might be safe and secure in his arms forever.
Let us pray: Oh God, thank you for being our strong tower, our refuge, our fortress. Thank you for your faithfulness, your steadfast love, and your mercy. Thank you for the power you give to us through the Holy Spirit – the power to overcome the schemes of the devil who desires only to steal, kill, and destroy us. Thank you for your word. It is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Thank you for the gift of one another, the gift of this place, and the gift of the saints who have partnered with you in building this church since 1766. May we not forget what you have done. May our hearts be grateful, and open to your teaching this day – in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Open your Bible and read with me from Deuteronomy 8. We’re going to read the whole chapter: verses 1-19.
1This entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase, and go in and occupy the land that the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors. 2Remember the long way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. 3He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4The clothes on your back did not wear out and your feet did not swell these forty years. 5Know then in your heart that as a parent disciplines a child so the LORD your God disciplines you. 6Therefore keep the commandments of the LORD your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, 8a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. 10You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you.
11Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” 18But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. 19If you do forget the LORD your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20Like the nations that the LORD is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.
Does anyone here ever have trouble remembering things? Now, we think it gets worse as we get older, but I don’t know. I think kids, teens, and young adults have a lot of trouble remembering things these days, too. There is so much stimulation in the world today through electronic technology. If you walk across a normal college campus, you will likely see only 1 person out of 5 without a cell phone to their ear or in their hand either writing or reading a text message, or with headphones in their ears. Many of us have become so connected to these devices that we neglect what is right in front of us. Or, we’re running at such a frantic pace to get this kid to that practice, or that kid to tutoring, or ourselves to an appointment we made 2 months ago that our electronic device reminded us about several hours ago, that we forget a commitment we made to go visit someone.
Do you ever go into a room to get something and forget what you went in there to get? Have you ever gotten in the car to run and errand, and forgotten what errand you planned to run? Have you ever forgotten someone’s name… “It’s… It’s… It starts with a ‘D.’ It’ll come to me in just a minute…”
Sometimes I write a time down on my calendar, but I don’t write anything else. And so, for instance, I’ll see 2 p.m. on Nov. 3 written down, and I have no idea if I am supposed to be somewhere or if someone is coming to me at 2. I forgot to finish the message to myself.
Studies show the following foods can help us with our memories: Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, all varieties of berries, cherries, eggplant, red, black, and purple grapes, plums, rhubarb, onions, red apples, cherry tomatoes, and apricots. Sounds like a good excuse to eat some cherry or blueberry or rhubarb pie to me!
Maybe these foods will help us remember names, or remember an errand we have to run, or a homework assignment, but no particular food will help us remember what is most important – like how is it we have shoes on our feet today, or a soft place to lay our heads at night, or food to eat, and people to walk the journey with us. Everything that has been given to us, has been given to us by God. The ability we have to work and make money has come to us from God. God is the initial, irreplaceable provider, without whom, we wander lost, unprotected, and alone at the core.
The Israelites were getting ready to enter the Promised Land. They were about to cross over the Jordan River. They were afraid of what was over there – even though God had promised good things to them. It was the unknown that had them in its grip of fear. And so God caused them to stop and remember how he had gotten them through in the past. God did this because he knows that if we will stop and remember, it will give us faith for today and tomorrow.
I know for me, when I’m going through a difficult time, if I take time to think about how God helped me through the last hard time, it gives me courage to press on with faith.
God said to the Israelites, “I led you, I protected you, I taught you, and I provided for you for 40 years.” He said to them, “Do not puff yourself up and think it is by your own hand alone that you have come through, remember the Lord, for it is he who gives you power.” And when we stop to remember, we can’t help but give thanks.
I have asked for a thanksgiving testimony to be given today – and Donna Galipo has prayed all week that she would be able to share with you how and what the Lord has brought her through.
Donna’s testimony.
I have another assignment for you. Right now, I would like for you to either talk to the person beside you, or find someone else in the sanctuary, and with them, remember out loud a time when God brought you through a hard time, maybe by using someone in particular who is no longer on earth, but a saint in Heaven (since it is All Saints Day). You don’t have to go into great detail, but take time to remember and give a one-on-one testimony of God’s grace in your life. Start your testimony with these words, “I thank God for . . . “
Thank you, Lord – for how you have brought us through some hard times. When someone we loved died, you provided loving arms to hold us. When we had no money in the account, you provided. When we were sure we’d never make it through that big break-up, you kept our head up and gave us hope for tomorrow. When we messed up, you welcomed us with words of comfort and forgiveness. Thank you, Father. Thank you for putting legs in our stockings. Thank you for bringing purpose to our lives. Thank you for this church family – for all who have gone before and all who will come after. Thank you for your sustaining power, today and every day, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Hey God - Thanks” Part 2
Rev. Meagan Boozer
Last week we started this sermon series on “giving thanks.” We looked at two difference men in the Bible who showed us how to be thankful people: Naaman and the 10th leper. Both men were healed from their leprosy by God, and both took the time to say thank you. Too often, we don’t take the time to say thank you to each other or thank you to God – and that affects the condition of our hearts and the effectiveness of our witness to the world.
I gave you an assignment last week. Everyone who was here was supposed to write the name of someone they wanted to thank on a little card, and then we were asked to follow through. I’m not going to ask how many of you actually completed this assignment, but I was praying all week that many of you would. Personally, I received an in-person thank you, an email thank you, a phone call, and 2 cards in the mail. And do you know what? It didn’t make me feel proud of myself. Those personal thank-you’s humbled me, and caused me to say ‘thank you’ to God for what God enables me and you to do by His power. And this is what we are going to focus on today: Being intentional about remembering that IT IS GOD who works through us, who has brought us to the place we are today, who has strengthened us when we thought we couldn’t take another step, who has filled us with peace in the midst of a storm, who has taken you and me, broken people that we are, and poured his life out for us so that we might be safe and secure in his arms forever.
Let us pray: Oh God, thank you for being our strong tower, our refuge, our fortress. Thank you for your faithfulness, your steadfast love, and your mercy. Thank you for the power you give to us through the Holy Spirit – the power to overcome the schemes of the devil who desires only to steal, kill, and destroy us. Thank you for your word. It is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Thank you for the gift of one another, the gift of this place, and the gift of the saints who have partnered with you in building this church since 1766. May we not forget what you have done. May our hearts be grateful, and open to your teaching this day – in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Open your Bible and read with me from Deuteronomy 8. We’re going to read the whole chapter: verses 1-19.
1This entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase, and go in and occupy the land that the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors. 2Remember the long way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. 3He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4The clothes on your back did not wear out and your feet did not swell these forty years. 5Know then in your heart that as a parent disciplines a child so the LORD your God disciplines you. 6Therefore keep the commandments of the LORD your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, 8a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. 10You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you.
11Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” 18But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. 19If you do forget the LORD your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20Like the nations that the LORD is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.
Does anyone here ever have trouble remembering things? Now, we think it gets worse as we get older, but I don’t know. I think kids, teens, and young adults have a lot of trouble remembering things these days, too. There is so much stimulation in the world today through electronic technology. If you walk across a normal college campus, you will likely see only 1 person out of 5 without a cell phone to their ear or in their hand either writing or reading a text message, or with headphones in their ears. Many of us have become so connected to these devices that we neglect what is right in front of us. Or, we’re running at such a frantic pace to get this kid to that practice, or that kid to tutoring, or ourselves to an appointment we made 2 months ago that our electronic device reminded us about several hours ago, that we forget a commitment we made to go visit someone.
Do you ever go into a room to get something and forget what you went in there to get? Have you ever gotten in the car to run and errand, and forgotten what errand you planned to run? Have you ever forgotten someone’s name… “It’s… It’s… It starts with a ‘D.’ It’ll come to me in just a minute…”
Sometimes I write a time down on my calendar, but I don’t write anything else. And so, for instance, I’ll see 2 p.m. on Nov. 3 written down, and I have no idea if I am supposed to be somewhere or if someone is coming to me at 2. I forgot to finish the message to myself.
Studies show the following foods can help us with our memories: Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, all varieties of berries, cherries, eggplant, red, black, and purple grapes, plums, rhubarb, onions, red apples, cherry tomatoes, and apricots. Sounds like a good excuse to eat some cherry or blueberry or rhubarb pie to me!
Maybe these foods will help us remember names, or remember an errand we have to run, or a homework assignment, but no particular food will help us remember what is most important – like how is it we have shoes on our feet today, or a soft place to lay our heads at night, or food to eat, and people to walk the journey with us. Everything that has been given to us, has been given to us by God. The ability we have to work and make money has come to us from God. God is the initial, irreplaceable provider, without whom, we wander lost, unprotected, and alone at the core.
The Israelites were getting ready to enter the Promised Land. They were about to cross over the Jordan River. They were afraid of what was over there – even though God had promised good things to them. It was the unknown that had them in its grip of fear. And so God caused them to stop and remember how he had gotten them through in the past. God did this because he knows that if we will stop and remember, it will give us faith for today and tomorrow.
I know for me, when I’m going through a difficult time, if I take time to think about how God helped me through the last hard time, it gives me courage to press on with faith.
God said to the Israelites, “I led you, I protected you, I taught you, and I provided for you for 40 years.” He said to them, “Do not puff yourself up and think it is by your own hand alone that you have come through, remember the Lord, for it is he who gives you power.” And when we stop to remember, we can’t help but give thanks.
I have asked for a thanksgiving testimony to be given today – and Donna Galipo has prayed all week that she would be able to share with you how and what the Lord has brought her through.
Donna’s testimony.
I have another assignment for you. Right now, I would like for you to either talk to the person beside you, or find someone else in the sanctuary, and with them, remember out loud a time when God brought you through a hard time, maybe by using someone in particular who is no longer on earth, but a saint in Heaven (since it is All Saints Day). You don’t have to go into great detail, but take time to remember and give a one-on-one testimony of God’s grace in your life. Start your testimony with these words, “I thank God for . . . “
Thank you, Lord – for how you have brought us through some hard times. When someone we loved died, you provided loving arms to hold us. When we had no money in the account, you provided. When we were sure we’d never make it through that big break-up, you kept our head up and gave us hope for tomorrow. When we messed up, you welcomed us with words of comfort and forgiveness. Thank you, Father. Thank you for putting legs in our stockings. Thank you for bringing purpose to our lives. Thank you for this church family – for all who have gone before and all who will come after. Thank you for your sustaining power, today and every day, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
