No Higher Calling

Week 12

"So he humbled you to allow you to hunger and
fed you with manna which you did not know
nor did your fathers know, that He might make
you know that men shall not live by bread
alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of the Lord. . . . So you should
know in your heart that as a man chastens his
son, so the Lord your God chastens you.
Therefore you shall keep the commandments
of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and
to fear Him." --Deuteronomy 8:3, 5, 6

Background Reading: Deuteronomy 8: 1-19

Remember and Obey

In reading the Book of Deuteronomy, the Lord God reminds us of the Commandments we must obey -- we live under His authority and command. The forty-three years in the wilderness were a result at times of the Israelites' disobedience, but also a time of testing -- would they trust the Lord and live faithfully according to His commands which offered the people the promise of His Lordship -- of direction, guidance and entry into the promised land?

We learn two lessons here: one on obedience and the other on humility. Sometimes as human beings, arrogance and greed make us lose sight of the necessity of God's presence in our lives. We easily tend to rely on our own ability to do everything that we do. Our pride and even our culture suggest that we ought to be self-confident, self-reliance. For professionals this is almost a professional cultural expectation. As lawyers we convey competence and assurance. We show we are in control. This does not encourage a spirit of humility or dependence on the Lord.

Yet for a biblical people, obeying God and obediently following His sovereign Commandments is the cornerstone of our lives. There can be no real acceptance of "Lordship" if there is not acceptance of the commands of the sovereign. A society cannot be said to accept the rule of law if the laws are then ignored. A person cannot say they accept the Lordship of God and ignore the commands.

It is a sad irony that often precisely when the Lord has given us everything we need in life -- land, shelter, food, knowledge, understanding and power -- indeed bountiful gifts and mercies -- it is then that we forget His provision, and ignore His Commandments. We become worshippers of material possession forgetting who in the first place showered us with these blessings. One writer once observed that a terrible scourge had descended on His land: prosperity. What short memories Israel had. They were barely out of Egypt before the grumbling began -- forgetting both the provision and the promises of God. But Israel is not unique. It is our story too. In our need we plead, but in our prosperity we forget. How often when we are in need do we plead for God's provision and recognize he alone is sufficient. And then when we have our needs met, we act as if we did it ourselves. That is why we must always, daily, keep the Lord before us, and acknowledge our dependence.

Let me share how the Lord has been faithful to me and how He has made me look to each day when I wake up, and be conscious of His presence and my need of Him. During the day, one may not be able to think much about God. All the more the reason for one to get in touch with the Almighty at the beginning of the day especially when one is feeling like giving in to the temptation of the devil, or of the world around us. Man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God. We need that daily feeding.

It is not the length of the prayer that chiefly matters, nor when, where, or in what posture one prays, but try to keep yourself respectful in the presence of God. I kneel down most of the time on both knees because that is the posture and attitude that helps me to remember that I am speaking to God, who is Lord of all and no one else. But of course, respect is a disposition of the mind rather than of the body.

Just as God fed, protected, and guided the Israelites for 43 years in the wilderness, he is able to answer our prayers and care for all our needs. My favorite prayer at the beginning of the day is:

O GOD give me this day the energy I need to face my work, the diligence I need to do it well; the self-discipline which will make me work just as hard, even if there be none to see and none to praise, and none to blame; the self-respect which will not stop to produce anything which is less than the best; the courtesy and the considerateness which will make me easy to work with. Help me, all through this day, to be a comfort to the sad, a friend to the lonely, an encouragement to the disheartened and a helping hand to those in need. May your Holy Spirit be present within me and strengthen me to continue your work of speaking to all men your word of love. Amen.

Mary N. Bassiouni
Sudan