Here is our outline of what we are studying from the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy:

1. The Promise of Prosperity - Deuteronomy 8:1
2. The Path of Humility - Deuteronomy 8:2-3
3. The Perspective of Faith - Deuteronomy 8:4-9
4. The Perils of Forgetfulness - Deuteronomy 8:10-17
5. The Persistence of Remembering the LORD - Deuteronomy 8:18-20

This last section is really a continuation of the Lord's warning of the Perils of Forgetfulness. Deuteronomy 8:10-17 warned us of the perils to our character if we allow forgetfulness to happen. We can become ungrateful, careless, disobedient, and proud. Deuteronomy 8:18-20 reveals the danger to our destiny. Forgetfulness leads to utter destruction.

Forgetfulness may seem to be a mere passive thing that just sneaks up on us. It is important, at this point, to see that remembering is a very deliberate, action that requires discipline and diligence. We will not just casually remember the Lord, saying, "Oh, I'd never forget the Lord!" Scripture, history, and human nature all testify to the fact that we are leaky vessels. We drift in our thoughts and are easily persuaded to give our attention and loyalty to many other things than that which is holy and eternal. A conscious effort must be exerted to keep our focus on the Lord and His kingdom.
See Genesis 6:5; Isaiah 53:6; 55:8; Psalm 94:11; I Corinthians 2:11-14; Matthew 6:19-33; Romans 11:33 - 12:3; Colossians 3:1-8; Philippians 4:4-8; II Corinthians 4:18.

Remember God: He Disperses Good Things - Deuteronomy 8:18

• He gave you life. (Christian, He gave you life twice!)
• He gives you blessings.
• He gives you tests.
• He gives you hope for the future.

God remembers you! God's masterplan includes personal promises and His personal attendance to our needs. God guarantees good results. How important to keep Him first in our life!
See Deuteronomy 8:16; Job 23:10; Psalm 23:1-6; 34:11-22; 37:1-11; 40:5,16-17; Isaiah 55:1-13; Jeremiah 29:11-13; 33:3; Romans 8:28-39; II Corinthians 1:3-7-10; I Peter 1:3-9.

Remember God: He Deserves Our Devotion - Deuteronomy 8:19
God is devoted to you! It should seem obvious that we should then be devoted to Him. Yet, we must continually monitor ourselves and watch for carelessness to set in. If we don't actively worship God, we will passively drift into idolatry. See I Samuel 12:20-21; Psalm 103:1-5; 116:1-14; 145:8-21; I Corinthians 10:1-14; I John 5:18-21.

Consider God's chastening and warning to Ephraim (the ten northern tribes of Israel) in Hosea 5:14 - 6:6.

• Hosea 5:14 - 6:2 - As a lion's attack, God will chasten them. Then He will wait and see their response. When they repent and seek the Lord, He will heal and restore them.
• Hosea 6:3 - Hosea calls them to "Follow on [press on] to know the LORD / pursue the knowledge of the LORD." God's ways are as dependable as the rising of the sun each morning and as life-giving as the early and latter rain.
• Hosea 6:4 - By contrast, Israel's goodness and faithfulness are about as consistent as a morning mist or as an early dew that disappears quickly when the sun rises.
• Hosea 6:5 - God's pattern was to send them rebuke by the prophets, which led to devastating judgments that were swift and encompassing as sunlight.
• Hosea 6:6 - God's requirements were simple and pure. He wanted His people to be merciful to others and to seek intimacy with Him. Religious ordinances, by themselves accomplish nothing! See Psalm 51:16-17; Micah 6:6-8.

Remember God: He Destroys the Disobedient - Deuteronomy 8:20
We destroy ourselves when we forget God! See Hosea 4:6; 13:9. In our previous series ("Seek the LORD While He May Be Found" - Isaiah 55:1-13) the message ended with the promise of blessing and prosperity. This time, in Deuteronomy 8, the message ends with the ominous warning of judgement and destruction. Remembering the LORD is not a matter to take lightly.

See Psalm 9:16-20; 50:14-23; Romans 2:1-16; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8-12; Revelation 2:20-23; 20:11-15; 21:5-8.