Deuteronomy 8:2 (ESV)—And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
Imagine you’re hiking the Fortynine Palm Oasis trail in Joshua Tree National Park. You douse your body with sunscreen, because the memory of your swollen foot during your last beach vacation says that sun protection is not optional.
The whole way along the dusty, rocky path you remember to drink water and snack on trail mix, because the memory of dehydration in Germany humbles you to the sun’s powerful rays.
You stop for rest and to photograph the desert shrubs and low-to-the-ground cacti, because you just can’t help but marvel at God’s creation.
Then, finally, you see it: an oasis in the desert. Towering palm trees with thick trunks stand out against the dry, cracked slopes of the mountains where desert shrubs and small cacti grow.
For a second generation of Israelites, Moses—who would not enter the Promised Land with the people—reminded them of God’s giving nature, an oasis of palm trees to remind them why they obey. He told them to remember how God provided manna in the desert, remember that their clothing did not wear out and their ankles did not swell. He said to remember lest they forget God.
The guidance of Moses “to remember lest they forget” applies to us today. We remember how he guided us when we obeyed, lest we forget he’ll guide us now and in the future. We remember how he humbled us, lest we forget his power. Through these moments, we remember that he gives to us to guide us—and he is guiding us toward salvation.
In his giving nature, God provides abundantly for his children. His oasis of giving reminds those of us who take care to follow God’s ways today that his way leads to “a good land” (Deuteronomy 8:7).
