Finding the Purpose of Boredom (Deuteronomy 8:2-5)

 

2. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.  3. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors.  He did this to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord.  4. For all this forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell.  5. So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you to help you. (Deuteronomy 8:2-5)

1) Boredom for testing (v.2)

Imagine being in the wilderness for forty years and turning in circle.  How would you feel after this long of a trip?  The end result of a long process was going to be to test their character and commitment to obedience.

2) Humbling experience (v.3 a)

He humbled them.  By doing what?  By making them go hungry.  God would provide food for them from heaven to show them they could depend on him alone for everything.

3) A spiritual lesson (v.3 b)

What did God want to teach them?   Boredom can be dangerous if not kept in check.  It opens you up to something you might not want to get into.  He wanted to teach them about his Word and the importance of it over physical food.  Stay close to your Bible!

4) The ultimate lesson (v.4-5)

The provision and blessings kept coming through lasting clothes that did not wear out even after heavy use and their shoes were not torn from the long walk.  The ultimate lesson was through discipline and what that discipline was for.  It was to help them!