申命记8:1-10
一无所缺?
Lack Nothing?
愿恩惠平安从父神和我们的救主耶稣基督归于你们所有盼望进入应许之地，永恒安息的人。阿们。
神带领自己的百姓出埃及，走旷野，给了他们一个美好的应许，那就是神要带领他们进入美地，迦南美地，那地美的如何？申命记8:7-9：“那地有河、有泉、有源...那地有小麦、打麦、葡萄树...橄榄树和蜜，9你在那地不缺食物，一无所缺。”
我们虽没有地上的迦南美地，但我们有天上永恒的美地，永恒的安息之地。彼得后书3:13 “我们照他的应许，盼望新天新地。”启示录21：4“神要擦去他们一切的眼泪；不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭号、疼痛。”我们要不要为此感恩呢？为着将来的“一无所缺”感恩，因为这美好的应许是给我们所有信靠和盼望的人。
抵达这应许之地之前，我们看以色列人在旷野这四十年的经历。申命记8:2 “耶和华你的神在旷野引导你这四十年，是要苦炼你，试验你，...3 他苦炼你，任你饥饿。”我们之前提到以色列在旷野常常发牢骚抱怨神，主要是哪些方面呢？就是吃喝，要么缺水，要么缺肉吃，要么没有开胃菜，葱姜蒜之类的。
但是，这些所谓的“缺乏”其实是相对于世界的标准来说的，就是跟其他人比较来看，或者跟他们出埃及之前的生活来比较，对不对，这可以说是缺乏。就像我们今天有时候不也经历这样的缺乏吗？身体疾病一直得不到好转，无论祷告多么诚恳、多么持久频繁，我们家庭或其他人际关系并没有多大改善，无论我们怎么求神的怜悯，祝福我们，我们的经济状况也没有好多少，尽管我们努力工作，但仍然入不敷出，满桌的账单总是付不完。是的，这都是真真实实感受到的缺乏和需要，这个时候，我们说实在的很难从心里发出感恩，甚至更多的是埋怨和委屈，就像以色列人常常挂在嘴边的那样。
请注意，这些缺乏，而按照世人的标准有满足的时候吗？并没有，那身体非常健康，还有其他的需求，既使钱再多，仍然觉得不够，既使天天有吃的，但仍然觉得乏味，需要换个法做菜吃，似乎永远没有满足的时候。所以，真正心存感恩面对生活每一天的人并不多见，既使一会儿感动发出感恩的心声，过不了几天，又感到生活沮丧，生活总是缺少点什么。
我们再看这旷野的经历，换个角度，从神的标准或者角度来评价。申命记8:4 “这四十年，你的衣服没有穿破，你的脚也没有肿。”换句话说，在神眼里，你们从头到脚我都在供应，一样都不缺。今天的经文说将来到了那美地必要一无所缺，是的，我们知道也相信和盼望那一天的到来。然而申命记2:7 神对以色列人当下旷野的经历也给出了同样的评价“你走这大旷野，他都知道了。这四十年，耶和华你的神常与你同在，故此你一无所缺。”
好吧，难道神是在在撒谎吗？为什么祂会说以色列人向来都是一无所缺的呢？无论他们遭遇什么事，那怕是埃及的追兵，红海斩断了前行的路，苦水不能喝，没了水等等。与其说神是撒谎的，不如说我们是撒谎的。当我们不知道如何感恩的时候，就是我们需要悔改重新归向主的时候。
就像以色列人，走旷野首先是上帝带领他们脱离奴隶的身份，赐给他们王子的尊位，神的百姓这样伟大的尊严，他们是走在神同在、神供应的美好旅途上。以色列人只知道按着世人虚荣、互相攀比和争竞的满足标准来看待自己的经历，而不是透过信心藉着神的美好心意去看待。
我们很多时候也会这样，只顾得想为什么我们没有这个，没有那个，忘记了我们已经被拯救脱离死亡和咒诅，脱离将来的审判和地狱的刑罚，已经走在与神和好，平安的道路上。我们已经得了应许，将来永远的安息，脱离死亡，不再有疾病和痛苦，只有复活的生命，永恒的生命，公义圣洁地活在主面前。
在眼见的缺乏当中说自己“一无所缺”，这很难，不信的人会说这难道不是自欺欺人吗？有时候信徒甚至也会同样说，“难道信仰能当饭吃吗？我不还得作工养家糊口吗？天上会掉馅饼吗？”其实这是出于疑惑，出于肉体的私欲，与上帝的话语不符。
我们信徒因着上帝的话语和应许，透过信心的眼睛去重新查验我们的经历，可以坦然无惧、可以自豪地说，“我们是真的一无所缺，”感谢上帝。我们为着神透过耶稣基督十字架的工作拯救了我们献上感谢赞美，我们为着神的同在和引领献上感谢和赞美，以此对抗出于不信的抱怨和牢骚满腹。
凭着信心，我们明白神的良善旨意，看起来祂在旷野是苦待以色列人，然而却是于他们有益。神要藉着肉体一时的缺乏来试验他们，查验他们的内心如何，是依靠肉身的吃喝活着还是依靠耶和华的话语。我们的生活经历各有不同，有时缺乏，有时富足，然而我们当心里明白，“耶和华我们的神管教我们，好像人管教儿子一样。”
可以说，我们身体物质上的匮乏，会使我们能够在信心和灵命上活泼又盼望，因为我们更加依靠亲近主的话语。这也是神让以色列人走旷野四十年的原因之一，为了塑造他们的信心和得救的生命。也可以说啊，人最大的缺乏不是任何物质，而是赐生命的主上帝，我们需要的是信靠和仰望，是主的同在同行，是明白主对我们的爱。
以色列人身体上饥饿的时候有吗哪赐给他们吃，我们缺乏的时候有那更美好的食物供应我们，就是耶稣基督祂自己，在圣餐礼当中赐下身体和血供应我们吃喝，赦免我们的罪，抱怨的罪，不满足的罪，不知感恩的罪等等一切其他的罪，并且赐给我们生命和救恩，使我们有神的同在，一无所缺，今日并且直到永远。我们知道，“人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠耶和华口里所出的一切话。”
愿我们在感恩节明白我们在基督里面是真的“一无所缺”。我们可以像保罗一样，腓立比书4:6 “应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求，和感谢，将所要的告诉神。7神所赐、出人意外的平安必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。”奉耶稣的名。阿们。
律法信息：旷野的孤独和物质匮乏，我们生活上各种的需要，让我们很难感恩，然而这正是我们需要悔改的地方，我们悔改因为我们实在太倚靠外在的物质东西而不是供应我们生命一切所需的主。
福音信息：神继续应许我们那将来的美好，以及祂今日与我们同在直到永远，无论我们今日遭遇什么事，祂都与我们同行，为我们担当。更是在这旷野旅程中赐下新的生命粮食，耶稣基督的身体和血，胜过以色列人曾领受的天上吗哪。祂的话语转变我们的心意，让我们明白我们有了主，是真的“一无所缺”，样样都有。
思考问题：
1 按照世人的标准，生活的需要，我们缺乏哪些东西？
2 如果神告诉我们，祂供应我们一切，让我们每时每刻“一无所缺”，你会怎么回应？
3 从神的眼光来看我们的经验和遭遇，我们是否会更加感恩？
4 我们旷野的吗哪在哪里找见呢？答：圣经话语和圣餐礼中。
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Lack Nothing?
Grace and peace be to you, all who hope to enter the promised land, the eternal rest, from God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
God led His people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and gave them a beautiful promise: that He would lead them into the beautiful land, the beautiful land of Canaan. How beautiful is that land? Deuteronomy 8:7-9 says, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks, of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing.”
Although we do not have the earthly beautiful land of Canaan, we have the heavenly, eternal beautiful land, the place of eternal rest. 2 Peter 3:13 says, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth.” Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.” Shouldn't we give thanks for this? Let us be thankful for the future state of “lacking nothing,” because this beautiful promise is for all of us who believe and hope.
Before arriving at this Promised Land, let us look at the experience of the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “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.” Verse 3 continues, “And he humbled you and let you hunger.” We previously mentioned that the Israelites often grumbled and complained to God in the wilderness. What were their main complaints? Food and drink. They either lacked water, lacked meat, or lacked appetizers, such as onions, garlic, and ginger.
However, these so-called “lacks” are actually according to the world's standard—when compared to other people or when compared to their life before the exodus. Judging by that, yes, one could say there was a lack. Just as we sometimes experience such lack today, don't we? A physical illness doesn't improve, no matter how sincere, persistent, and frequent our prayers are; our family or other relationships don't get much better, no matter how much we ask for God's mercy to bless us; our financial situation doesn't improve much, even though we work hard, yet we still can't make ends meet, and the pile of bills seems endless. Yes, these are real, genuinely felt lacks and needs. At these times, to be honest, it is very difficult to feel gratitude from the bottom of our hearts; instead, there is often more resentment and a feeling of unfairness, just as the Israelites often expressed.
Please note, are these lacks ever fully satisfied according to the world's standard? No. If someone is very healthy, they have other needs. Even with more money, they still feel it's not enough. Even if they have food every day, they still feel it is too plain and need a change in the way it's cooked. It seems there is never a time of complete satisfaction. Therefore, genuinely grateful people who face every day of life are rare. Even if they are moved to express gratitude for a moment, a few days later they feel depressed again, feeling that something is always missing from life.
Now let's look at the wilderness experience from another perspective—from God's standard or perspective. Deuteronomy 8:4 says, “Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.” In other words, in God's eyes, “I supplied you from head to toe. You lacked nothing.” Today's scripture says that when they reach that beautiful land, they will certainly lack nothing. Yes, we know, believe, and hope for the arrival of that day. However, in Deuteronomy 2:7, God gives the same evaluation of the Israelites’ present wilderness experience: “He has known your travel through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”
Well, is God lying? Why would He say the Israelites always lacked nothing? No matter what they encountered—the Egyptian army, the Red Sea cutting off their path, bitter water that couldn't be drunk, running out of water, and so on. Rather than saying God is lying, it is better to say that we are the ones who lie. When we don't know how to be grateful, it is time for us to repent and return to the Lord.
Like the Israelites, the first thing that happened in the wilderness was that God led them out of slavery and bestowed upon them the honorable status of princes, the great dignity of being God's people. They were on a beautiful journey of God's presence and provision. Yet, the Israelites only viewed their experience through the standard of worldly vanity, mutual comparison, and competitive satisfaction, instead of looking through faith, through God's good and gracious will.
Many times, we do the same. We only think about why we don't have this or that, forgetting that we have been saved from death and the curse, delivered from future judgment and the punishment of hell, and are already walking on the path of reconciliation and peace with God. We have received the promise of eternal rest, deliverance from death, and freedom from sickness and pain; only the life of resurrection, eternal life, living before the Lord with righteousness and holiness.
To say "I lack nothing" when there are visible lacks is difficult. An unbeliever would ask, "Isn't this self-deception?" Sometimes even a believer might ask the same, "Can faith put food on the table? Don't I still have to work to support my family? Will pie fall from the sky?" Actually, this comes from doubt and fleshly desires and does not align with God's Word.
As believers, because of God's Word and promise, we examine our experiences again through the eyes of faith. We can say confidently and proudly, "We truly lack nothing." Thanks be to God. We offer thanks and praise for God's work of salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ, and we offer thanks and praise for God's presence and guidance. This is how we combat the complaints and grumbling that stem from unbelief.
By faith, we understand God's good purpose. It looked like He was treating the Israelites harshly in the wilderness, yet it was for their benefit. God wanted to test them through temporary physical lack, to examine what was in their hearts—whether they would live by bodily food and drink or by the Word of the Lord. Our life experiences are different—sometimes lacking, sometimes rich. However, we must know in our hearts that "the Lord our God disciplines us, just as a father disciplines his son."
We can say that our physical and material scarcity enables us to be vibrant and hopeful in faith and spiritual life, because we rely on and draw nearer to the Lord's Word. This is also one of the reasons why God had the Israelites journey through the wilderness for forty years: to shape their faith and their saved life. It can also be said that the greatest lack a person has is not any material thing, but rather the Lord God himself who gives life. What we need is trust and confidence, the Lord's presence and companionship, and the understanding of the Lord's love for us.
When the Israelites were hungry, manna was given to them to eat. When we lack, we are provided with the even better food, which is Jesus Christ Himself, who in the Sacrament of the Altar gives us His body and blood for eating and drinking, forgiving our sins—the sin of complaining, the sin of dissatisfaction, the sin of ungratefulness, and all other sins—and grants us life and salvation, so that we have God's presence and lack nothing, today and forever. We know, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
May we understand this Thanksgiving that we truly “lack nothing” in Christ. We can be like Paul, who wrote in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus' name. Amen.