Moses said to Israel:
After you eat and are full, give praise to the Lord your God for the good land he gave you. Make sure that you never forget the Lord or disobey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. If you always obey them, you will have plenty to eat, and you will build good houses to live in. You will get more and more cattle, sheep, silver, gold, and other possessions. But when all this happens, don’t be proud! Don’t forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and that it was the Lord who set you free. Remember how he led you in that huge and frightening desert where poisonous snakes and scorpions live. There was no water, but the Lord split open a rock, and water poured out so you could drink. He also gave you manna, a kind of food your ancestors had never even heard about. The Lord was testing you to make you trust him, so that later on he could be good to you. When you become successful, don’t say, “I’m rich, and I’ve earned it all myself.” Instead, remember that the Lord your God gives you the strength to make a living. That’s how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors. But I’m warning you—if you forget the Lord your God and worship other gods, the Lord will destroy you, just as he destroyed the nations you fought.
Deuteronomy 8:10-20
When God blesses a nation, along with those blessings comes a serious warning! If that nation begins to take the credit for the blessings of God, then God has said He will turn away from them. Then comes trouble and even the destruction of that land!
Take time to consider the blessings that God has poured into your life. Of course, first of all would be the people that love you and are loved by you in return. Then there would be your abilities to work and do good deeds for others. And of course, there are the physical blessings like a place to live, food to eat and air to breathe!
Verse 10 of Deuteronomy 8 encourages a very interesting, and perhaps almost never implemented practice. It says: "After you eat and are full, give praise to the Lord your God for the good land he gave you."
For many, it is a common tradition to thank God for the food before you eat it, but do you Praise God after you have eaten and are full? The next time you are able to eat enough food to make you full, spend some moments in Praise to God who made you able to be hungry and provided the food for you to eat!
After you have enjoyed and been satisfied by the blessings of God be sure to Praise Him instead of taking credit for the blessings He has given you!
"Lord Jesus, You are the source of everything that is good and all my blessings come from You and You alone! Praise Your Holy Name now and forever. Amen."
No comments:
Post a Comment