04/04/2024 – Be Careful Not to Forget God
Deuteronomy 6: 10 “When the LORD, your God, has introduced you to the land that your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob swore to give you, in great and good cities that you did not build, 11 with houses full of all kinds of goods, which you did not fill, with dug cisterns, which you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant, after you eat and stir, 12 beware not to forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude. 13 To the LORD, your God, you shall fear, you shall serve him alone and shall swear by his name.”
I’ve seen many people thrive in the United States. Many came here full of faith and hope. They worked very hard, and God blessed the fruit of their effort. Sadly, after they prospered, some forgot about God. This is also the case for many in the prosperous areas of the world.
We do well to hold fast to our faith in the wilderness; but let us not forget that we are in greater danger in prosperity: the danger of forgetting God’s commandments to waste our blessings on vanity and even end up serving the devil. The price of vanity is excessively expensive. If we choose the things of the world, they are available. All we must do is to bow before the altar of idolatry. Instead, the price of the kingdom of heaven is very high. It is the price of the cross. But it is a fair price considering the weight of its glory.
Our Lord Jesus Christ quoted this passage of the Old Testament to overcome the devil when he was tempted in the wilderness. Satan offered him the kingdoms of the earth in exchange for worship. Christ chose to be faithful to the Father and suffer the cross. He chose to go to the cross, give His life and trust that His Heavenly Father would crown Him king. With this decision, Christ conquered the kingdoms of the earth. When we choose God, we win it all. When we choose vanity, we lose everything.