Beware In Times of Blessing

“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.

(Deuteronomy 8:11 NASB).

Blessing can be a curse.  In times of prosperity we may be most susceptible to disobedience and paths away from God.  Our greatest tests may not be in our trials but in times of plenty.

Most people have a common problem. We tend to forget.  Very imperceptibly, pride slips in the back door and we start to forget all that God has done and how He has rescued us helpless in our sin (v. 14). Yes, we remember the acts of God, but we start to believe in our minds and hearts that it is because as individuals or groups we are special.  Remember, Israel was not chosen because they were special; they were special because they were chosen.  It was God’s love for them and not their goodness, strength, or power.  Moses reminded Israel in Deuteronomy 9: 4-5 that He was not giving them their inheritance because their righteousness or integrity. He was fulfilling an oath he had made to their ancestors.

Trials have their own built in mechanism that keep us on our knees. Prosperity can lead us to forget our desperate need for God. Prayerlessness is the avenue that allows pride to get its tentacles around our heart and lead us down the path of self-sufficiency.  The next time you feel blessed, think back prior to your redemption and remember how hopeless and despairing you were in your sin. Then maybe we will recognize that all we have is because of the unmerited favor of God.