“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” ~Deuteronomy 8:11-18 NLT
In the passage above from the 8th chapter of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, the author reminds the nation then of something that is so important for us today as we look out at our Western world.
In this address from Moses delivered to the people of Israel on the plains of Moab, he reminds the people to be careful… to be aware NOT to forget God in the midst of the abundance and plenty that surrounds us! In a series of three speeches or sermons given during the 40-day period prior to Israel’s entering the Promised Land around 1410 B.C. Moses reminds the people as they are about to enter the land promised to them that they must NEVER become complacent in their prosperity!
Sound familiar?
Well, all one has to do is look out our windows… or maybe even look around us in our own living rooms to realize that we are a very prosperous nation overall and unfortunately for many we have not listened very carefully to Moses’ words!
The reality is simply this… in one of the most prosperous nations in the world we have done our best to forget the ONE who has given us the ability to be prosperous and secure! In our plenty that surrounds us we have become complacent and contented with our own ability and achievements. In our luxury and extravagance we have wandered far from the ONE who has provided us with the abilities and opportunity to accumulate the stuff that surrounds many of us! In our freedom and liberty we have forgotten the ONE who is the author and perfecter of our true freedom!
The TRUTH is… it is easy for us to forget when everything in life is going great or we have more than we really need! Maybe some would say it’s human nature, personally I would say that it is our selfish nature which is always at the heart of our sinful reality that causes us to believe and trust in our own strength and power rather than on God’s provision!
But Moses reminds us in this passage in one of the five original books of the Bible NOT to forget the TRUTH that it is God who provides. It is God who provides us with the power to be successful. When our bank accounts have become full and our lives have become prosperous and we’ve built fine homes to live in… and when our families, businesses, and churches have become very large… we need to BE CAREFUL! We need to be careful not to become proud at that time and forget the Lord our God… the ONE who had given us the opportunity and possibility to be all we can be and to accomplish so much in this world that He created!
Learning to remember the ONE who provides and gives…
Rev Trev
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