READING: Hosea 13
“. . . then they forgot me.”
Hosea 13:6
God brought His people out of Egypt in a dramatic way, and that story became central to Hebrew history. God had cared for them in the wilderness. He had provided all they would ever need. He judged them when necessary, but He also graciously kept them in His hand. Still, something happened in the midst of their receiving God’s blessings: “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me” (Hos. 13:6). In their satisfaction with the blessings of God, they somehow became arrogant. Prosperity led them to self-centeredness, and their pride led them to forget God.
Seemingly, their blessings – blessings that came from the hand of God – became more important to them than the God who made it all possible. They had “stuff” – and who needs God when you have sufficient stuff?
I’ve seen it happen in my ministry, too. The homeless man who became a believer, got his first job in years – and promptly forgot God when it seemed he no longer needed Him. The faithful college student who pulled out of church as he sought to build his career. The committed family whose church service disappeared as they rose in economic status. Even the pastor friend whose walk with God became far less intimate as he grew in popularity and climbed his denominational ladder. In all these cases, they accepted God’s blessings – but then allowed those blessings to hinder their walk with God. They forgot Him even as they received from Him.
Whether we want to admit it, we’re all susceptible to this tendency.
ACTION STEPS:
- Determine if you’re allowing the blessings of God to lead you into forgetting Him. If so, confess and repent.
- Thank God for your blessings – but spend much of your time thanking Him for His Son.
PRAYER: “God, thank You for the way you’ve blessed and satisfied me. Let all my satisfaction be found in Christ. ”
TOMORROW’S READING: Isaiah 5-8