Don’t forget God
This is the ninth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer.
“When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God…For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God…”
Deuteronomy 8:10-14 (NLT)
In times of plenty, there is always the tendency to forget God, to take credit for our prosperity, and to become proud that our hard work and cleverness have made us well off.
It’s easy to become so busy accumulating physical wealth and to be so preoccupied with material success that we push God right out of the picture. But we need to remember that it is God who gives us everything we have, and that it is God who asks us to manage it for him.
Traditionally, the passage in our header scripture is quoted as the reason we say grace before meals: we remember that God is the one who has provided the food we eat and we give thanks to him. But its purpose, however, was to warn the Israelites not to forget God when their needs were satisfied. We are warned, therefore, to beware of becoming satisfied with the gifts God gives us but forgetting the giver, who is God. Prayer is an important way we show that we do not forget God.
Living in the West we are truly blessed. Most people have plenty of food, clothing, cars, electronic gadgets, and homes to live in. Compared to much of the world we are rich and live lives of luxury. But as we enjoy this luxury, we must be careful not to forget the One who provided all the luxury. We must beware that we could easily slip into worshipping the gift rather than the giver or the creation instead of the Creator. Amidst all our blessings, it would be easy to take more pleasure in what we have than in the One who gave it to us.
So don’t forget God. He is the One who has blessed us. Don’t forget to regularly thank him for all the good things you have in your life. And especially thank him for giving us his Son for our salvation and the Holy Spirit for our sanctification.
Prayer is a way of putting God back at the forefront of our lives, our minds, our attitudes, and our thoughts.
So in all that is going on, don’t forget to pray today.
Prayer
Loving Father, please forgive us for the times we have forgotten you. Help us to remember just how much you have given us, and how much we need you, and may our thankfulness rise to you as a sweet-smelling odour. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Barry Robinson
Barry Robinson is a minister in Grace Communion International and Regional Pastor for Southern England, the Midlands, and Wales
Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA
Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm
Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church