Gratitude in the Land of Plenty
Deuteronomy 8:1–20
Introduction:
There’s a strange paradox in human memory. We tend to forget what we should remember and remember what we should forget. A shameful moment from childhood can remain vivid, while the kindness of God in last week’s answered prayer can slip away by Monday morning. Forgetfulness isn’t just a human quirk—it’s a spiritual danger.
In Deuteronomy 8, Israel stands on the threshold of the Promised Land. The years of desert wandering are nearly over. The hardships of Egypt are behind them. But just before they enter the land of abundance, Moses gives them a sobering warning: “Don’t forget who brought you here.”
This message isn’t just historical—it’s deeply personal. Because the same human tendency to forget God in our abundance still lives in us today. We, too, are prone to forget the prayers we once prayed, the tears we once cried, and the promises God once fulfilled. That’s why this message matters—because our spiritual health hinges on our memory. And forgetting isn’t passive—it’s dangerous. The minute we forget the faithfulness of God, we become vulnerable to pride, compromise, and spiritual drift.
And so this message is a call to something deeper. It’s a call to gratitude—not only in times of struggle, but especially in the land of plenty. Because a grateful heart stays tender toward God. A grateful life becomes a living witness. Gratitude anchors us when blessings could otherwise make us drift.
So let’s open our hearts and listen with fresh ears, because this message from Moses is not only for Israel—it’s for us.
Before Moses ever warned about the dangers of success, he reminded them of where they had come from—and what God had done along the way. He brings them back to the wilderness, because it was there that their relationship with God was forged.
1. Remember the Wilderness Was God’s Classroom
In verse 2, Moses tells them plainly: “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years…”
The desert wasn’t a detour. It was a classroom. God was teaching them humility, dependence, and obedience.
For forty years, every sunrise in the wilderness was a reminder of God’s provision. Manna from heaven. Water from rocks. Clothes that didn’t wear out. Each provision was a lesson. Each step in the sand was an opportunity to trust.
A friend of mine once signed up for a 60-day fitness boot camp. He said it was miserable. Early mornings. Grueling workouts. A strict diet. For weeks he wanted to quit. But at the end, he showed me the before-and-after photos—and I couldn’t believe the transformation. The wilderness is like that. Painful in the moment. Purposeful in the end.
God doesn’t waste pain. He uses it to form character, strip away idols, and draw us closer to Himself. What wilderness season have you endured? Look back and remember: He was with you. He was shaping you.
But if the wilderness taught Israel to depend on God, the Promised Land would tempt them to forget Him. That’s why Moses shifts from remembering God’s past provision to warning about future pride.
2. Resist the Illusion of Self-Made Success
In verse 17, Moses warns: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.'”
Sound familiar? This is the lie of self-sufficiency.
When comfort increases, conviction can diminish. When the land is flowing with milk and honey, it’s easy to forget the One who brought you out of slavery and through the Red Sea. Israel’s temptation was not rebellion—it was self-reliance.
Application: In ministry, in business, in family—how easy it is to forget that all we have is from God. We start to think, “I built this. I earned this. I sustained this.” But Deuteronomy reminds us: it is the Lord who gives us the ability to produce anything of value.
Pride isn’t just about arrogance. It’s about forgetfulness. When we fail to acknowledge God as the source, we begin to steal glory that belongs to Him alone. And when we place confidence in ourselves, we are one step away from spiritual disaster.
Think of the story Jesus told in Luke 12 about the rich man whose fields produced abundantly. He thought to himself, “I’ll build bigger barns… take life easy… eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.” Success is not sin—but forgetting God in our success is a grave danger.
So how do we avoid that danger? How do we keep our hearts centered when the blessings start to flow? That brings us to the third call from Moses—to deliberately and continually reaffirm our dependence on the Lord.
3. Reaffirm Your Dependence on God—Even in Blessing
Verse 10 instructs: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God…”
In other words, don’t wait until things are falling apart to turn to Him. Praise Him in the abundance. Worship Him when the bank account is full, when the ministry is growing, when your family is thriving.
The test of faith isn’t just in the valley—it’s also on the mountaintop. In moments of abundance, we are tempted to believe the myth that we no longer need daily bread. But spiritual maturity is found in continual dependence.
Some have this idea that the best and only time necessary to pray is when life takes a tragic turn for the worst. When problems arise and hardships come. As if we do our best praying when we’re desperate. But it we’re honest about it, that’s an awful way to view prayer or our connection to and dependence upon God.
How much more vibrant would our relationship with God be if we walked in daily gratitude and dependence, not just emergency requests?
Application: What if your best prayers didn’t come from crisis, but from contentment? What if you lifted your hands in worship not because you were afraid, but because you were full? Reaffirming dependence on God means we declare, even in blessing, “I still need You. I always will.”
Conclusion:
Memory is a spiritual discipline. What we remember shapes how we worship, how we obey, and how we live. Moses wasn’t scolding Israel—he was shepherding them. Because forgetting God is the first step toward forsaking Him.
So today, church, let us remember. Let us recall the ways He carried us, provided for us, forgave us, and formed us. Let us say with grateful hearts: “We are here only because of the Lord.”
Let us build a habit of gratitude—not just in the hard seasons, but especially in the blessed ones. Let us teach our children to trace God’s fingerprints through every chapter of our lives. Let us not fall into the trap of self-reliance, but instead, stand in awe of the God who has done more for us than we could ever deserve.
And if you find yourself in a season of plenty right now—don’t let it dull your spiritual senses. Let it drive you to your knees in worship, with the kind of reverence that says, “God, I haven’t forgotten. I remember. I am grateful.”
Let this be our posture in the land of plenty: bowed hearts, lifted hands, and a spirit that never stops saying, “Thank You.”
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pause today to thank You. For every desert You walked us through, for every meal You provided, for every enemy You conquered, for every lesson You taught—we remember. Help us, Lord, not to grow forgetful in seasons of blessing. Remind us daily that everything we have is from Your hand. Keep our hearts tender and our spirits humble. May we always walk with gratitude in the land of plenty, and may we never forget who brought us here. In Jesus’ name, Amen.