Check out the featured post and read more here: https://www.ibelieve.com/christian-living/in-our-plenty-let-us-not-forget-god.html
“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” (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, NIV).
Have you ever cried out to God in deep need, but then forgotten Him in times of abundance? You’re not alone. In Deuteronomy 8:11-20, Israel had been on a journey from exile to deliverance. And yet, every time they faced a new hardship, they repeatedly forgot what God had done for them. They didn’t know how to praise their God in both the mountaintops and the valleys.
As followers of Jesus, our lives are full of times of abundance and need. Ironically, though, it’s in times of plenty that we forget our Creator. We quickly praise the creation rather than the creator. But Deuteronomy reminds us to remember God’s provision in times of abundance, too. Contemporary Christians are not exempt from this struggle—rather, the risk is high for forgetting God during periods of prosperity. So what are we to do?
1. Remember Who God Is (Regardless of Our Circumstances)
As simple as it sounds, remembering God in times of plenty and need requires us to remember who God is regardless of our circumstances. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 says it this way: “You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18, NIV).
Declaring who God is does not mean forgetting our circumstances or ignoring them. David, a man after God’s own heart, and author of many of the Psalms, understood this well. In one of his most famous Psalms, Psalm 42, David teaches us that we can bring our circumstances to God and remember who He is amidst them. Line after line, David pours out his problems, but he also reaffirms and encourages his weak and weary soul. Verses 5-6 are just one set of lines that illustrate this parallel: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar” (Psalms 42:5-6, ESV).
Deuteronomy 8 isn’t just a warning against forgetfulness in times of plenty, it’s a reminder to place our hope and confidence in Christ despite the troubles we face. We must continually remind our souls: “Therefore I remember you” (Psalms 42:6b). Without this nudge, we face the danger of becoming complacent and self-reliant. Especially when life becomes comfortable, profitable, and good, we are tempted to forget God. And yet, just as the Israelites are reminded of their potential for pride and self-sufficiency (vs.12-14), how material success can obscure the need for spiritual dependence, we must never forget our need for the one who gave us everything.
