Don't Forget the Desert

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Hunger is a hell of a teacher. In Deuteronomy 8, Moses reminds the people of the forty years they spent wandering, being humbled and tested. God let them get hungry so they would learn that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” It’s easy to be “spiritual” when the fridge is full and the bank account is padded. The real test is the wilderness.

The danger isn’t just the desert; it’s the Promised Land. Moses warns them: when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and your silver and gold increase, do not forget the Lord. Prosperity has a way of inducing spiritual amnesia. We start thinking our own “power and the might of our hands” produced this wealth. We become the heroes of our own stories, and God becomes a footnote.

This passage points us toward Jesus in the wilderness. Where Israel failed the hunger test, Jesus quoted this very scripture to shut down the enemy. He is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven. As Psalm 47 reminds us, God is the King of all the earth, clapping His hands in victory. Our success isn’t a trophy of our hard work; it’s a gift from the King.

If you’re in a season of “more than enough,” be careful. The ego is a liar. If you’re in the desert, take heart. God is teaching you to feast on His Word. Either way, He is the source, and we are the dependents.

Devotional Prompts:

How has your “wilderness” experience humbled you and tested what was really in your heart?
Why is the temptation to say “my power produced this” so dangerous to your relationship with God?
How does shouting to God with “cries of joy” realign your perspective on His kingship over your life?
How can you practically integrate “the Word” as your primary source of life today?

Prayer: King of all the earth, forgive me for the times I have forgotten Your hand in my success. Whether I am feasting or fasting, keep my heart tethered to Your Truth and my soul satisfied in You alone. Amen.