Deuteronomy 8:6-9  “Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.” (NIV)

—

The passage before this one, verses 1-5, describes what God did for Israel from the time they left Egypt until that moment as they prepared to cross over into the land long promised to their ancestors. What would happen next was all part of what God had been doing, was doing, and would do through all generations.

Moses painted the picture of the place he had never been and would never go. God told him all about it so that he could, in turn, tell the people all about it. His description provided the most pleasant of contrasts between what the people had always known and what they were about to enjoy. Listen again to the promises of God that were mere moments away from fulfillment for a people whose only frame of reference was a trackless wilderness.

“Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.”

The land on the other side of the river was everything they longed for and hoped for. It was a land that would provide everything they needed to thrive and build a better world. They would live in peace and plenty. It was a land with plenty of water, which was kind of a big deal for this group of people who often had to depend on God’s miracles to get a refreshing cupful. 

It was a land where grain was plentiful, and trees provided fruit and staples like olives and their precious oil. It was a land that would supply building and tool-making materials. It was a place where there would be no lack. 

It was the freshest of fresh starts. 

Most important of all was the responsibility to know and experience God day by day. They were not to become so enamored with all the good things they were receiving that they could forget about God. He brought them into this place so that they could live in a deep and abiding relationship with him, like Eden all over again. 

As James Taylor sang in one of his hit songs, God was showering the people he loved with love. Every good and perfect gift is evidence of God’s love. Every beautiful delight in our lives is a gift of his grace. 

Now is a good time to thank and praise God for the many good gifts we enjoy each day. It’s also a good day to look forward to the day of all days, when everything hindering our relationships with God and others, and the enjoyment of his abundant goodness, is put away forever. 

Enjoy where you are today by his grace. 

Prepare your heart for the best of his abundance yet to come. 

Acknowledge him for who he is and for what he makes possible with his good gifts. 

—

I will celebrate God’s generosity in large measure by knowing him better day by day and learning to live with gratitude in all things and for all things.

—

Our Father, you are better to us than we would be to ourselves. Your abundant goodness and kindness is extravagant. Your empowering presence is the greatest of all gifts. Thank you for your generosity. Amen.