Today’s reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9:6
My selection: Deuteronomy. 6:10-15
10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you, 15 for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God, lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
My reflections: I bet you can handle great adversity, but can you handle blessing? God warned the Israelites to beware of forgetting Him, the source of their wealth and blessing, once they had settled into the land. They would go into a place with cities, houses, furnishings, wells of water, vineyards, and orchards. NONE of this did they work for. It is very difficult for people to appreciate what is given to them. There is danger in being given things in that it can result in ungratefulness and presumption. In the case of Israel they would eventually forsake God and replace Him with idols, the very idols that the defeated nations had trusted in. Go figure.
My challenge: Sin is not logical. As my friend, Pastor Fred Greco says, “sin makes you stupid.” It starts in the heart with ungratefulness and spreads to false worship. If we are blessed with abundance, may God help us to never forget Him. Don’t be stupid. Worship and praise God for all that you are and have.
Tomorrow’s reading: Deuteronomy 9:7-11:32
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