Deuteronomy 8:10-14 - When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
Be careful that
you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe
his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and
are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,
and when your
herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have
is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you
will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of
Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Like a mom who watches her kids leave the
house for the night…Moses tells the people to be very careful as they embrace
the wonderfully rich and wealthy land God is going to give them. He understood the pride wealth sometimes produces…for
he lived in wealth once….as the Pharaoh’s son. He told them to praise God for each good thing
he gave them as they entered the land…so they would always remember where the
gifts came from.
When earthly wealth is piled upon us…we are
tempted to forget the good things of God. We let the pride of ownership sidetrack
us from the true reason God blessed us with the wealth in the first place. Jesus said himself that it was very hard for
a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 19:24…maybe that is one of
the reasons his birth and life was so humble.
I remember as a child taking the time to
write thank you notes to everyone who had given me a gift that year. I remember
the feeling of sweetness it gave me to jot down a few words to the family and
friends to let them know just how much I would enjoy the gift they gave me. I
never thought about doing the same thing with the great gifts God gave me….and
he has given me plenty. And I admit…there
really are no words to thank him for the greatest gift he gave us….his son that
holy Christmas night….in human flesh…yet with the power to be completely
obedient…and walk with his father for 33 years as a perfect lamb.
There really are no words to thank Jesus
for the gift he gave me ethier….to follow his father’s directions and rules so
perfectly that he could become the sacrifice for my sins. He lived a life based
on service to the father…never worrying about where his next meal would come
from…or what he would do when his sandals wore out. He did not have to have matching shoes for
every outfit…or jewelry to go with every top in his closet. He didn’t even have
a car…let alone the newest on the lot…he walked everywhere he went. He didn’t
worry about anything…he knew that his father would give him just what he needed…at
the exact moment he needed it.
Just when I think I have gotten a handle on
the materialism thing….this passage reminds me of just how selfish I still am….it
seems that I am always wanting something new…thinking that the things he has
already given me are not enough. I can
justify just about any purchase if I think about it long enough. Maybe I should
just sit down and write God a long thank you note…if I can even remember at 54
years of life everything I haven’t already thanked him for….so that he can keep
humbling me…and reminding me that every good and perfect thing comes from above…like
James 1:17 says.
You see Moses had learned that inner peace
doesn’t come from things…it comes from the relationship we build with God. We
have an even easier time that Moses...because we have three people to build a
relationship with… God…his son Jesus….and the precious Holy Spirit he
sent. Moses was trying to tell his
precious friends he was leaving soon…not to forget to thank God and always
remember to guard their hearts against pride.
That obedience to God would result in some pretty awesome inner peace if
they got it right…the kind of peace that allowed Moses to stay on that mountain
and die…knowing God was going to take care of his family…like he had taken care
of him for 120 years.
Father…I thank you this morning for every
good gift you give me daily…for life…for breath…for a home with a warm cozy
bed. I thank you for all the Christmas gifts…from the simplest homemade card
from a student…to the sweet new ornament for the memory tree I put up every
year… to the gift card to eat at Cracker Barrel many times from my sweet
parents. I thank you for the inner peace that is developing in my soul…because
I know these awesome gifts are from people that you are molding into special
people…with special purpose….just as you are molding me to do a work for you
some day. Show me how to use the good
gifts you have given me to continue to spread your love to others. Help me to never worry about my life here on
Earth…but to depend on you for what I need…when I need it. Help me to be obedient…to follow all you
rules and tap into that sweet inner peace you gave Moses….and Paul…and David...and
Jesus….so I can complete the work you sent me here to do. Amen.
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