READING: Deuteronomy 6-9, Mark 16
It’s so easy to forget that EVERYTHING we have, we have because of the Lord’s grace. Our world has convinced us that we’re to make something of ourselves, that we’re to build our own kingdom, that we’re to show our value by the number of possessions we have. The more blessed we seem to be, the more important we must be – or so we think. Even when we know better, we still fall into the traps of the world and the enemy.
Moses, on the other hand, made it clear to God’s people that He alone gave them provisions; they would receive a land “with large and beautiful cities that you did not build,houses full of every good thing that you did not fill them with, cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant” (Deut 6:10-11). They were then to fight hard against letting their prosperity block their relationship with God: “be careful that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery . . . You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me, but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today” (Deut 8:14-18).
They were to remember that God gave them blessings not because they were righteous, but because He’s a covenant-keeping God. In our own prosperity, we are wise to remember the same truths.
PRAYER: “God, I need Your help to avoid giving myself credit for anything I accomplish or gain.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Evaluate your own life. Do you ever assume your own power and ability have produced your gains?
TOMORROW’S READING: Deuteronomy 10:1-12:28, Luke 1:1-38