Joel M Bradshaw

 4For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you for your own good.–Deuteronomy 8

In context: the nation of Israel was being punished for their rebellion and lack of faith. What would have been a much shorter trip instead was 40 years. God was disciplining them, and good discipline is both punishment and training. He was training them to trust Him. They would receive daily bread and their clothing lasted even through daily use in the wilderness for a generation!

For us: Take a step back in your difficult season. I never ask what God is trying to teach me, for God never tries. He is the sovereign King. I instead have learned to ask what God is expecting me to learn during this season. I may carry “wounds,” but they will eventually turn to “scars.” God will use my story for His glory. And during this season, He expects me to trust Him and obey.

There are things that only God can do. We depend on God for those blessings. Time for a heart-check again this morning. What “clothes” and “shoes” are not “wearing out” in your life? How has God been uniquely faithful in your journey?–JMB