18/10/2017
THE STOLEN VERDICT
"...Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bo***ge;
17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ " (Deuteronomy 8:12-1; & 17)
Every transformation process has two stages - a before and after. The gap between the two is naturally a good indicator of the impact of the process. It is however possible for another person to take the credit for work done by someone else.
Have you had a bank deposit or money transfer wrongfully credited to the wrong person? What about an award or prize given to an undeserving person instead of the rightful winner? How did you feel? God had rescued Israel from 430 years of suffering and bo***ge in Bible had taken a people who were nobodies and blessed them with abundance.
In Deuteronomy 8, Israel was consistently cautioned not to forget God. They were warned that forgetting God and abandoning His fear would eventually lead to a situation where a person who God had delivered and blessed with food, accommodation, wealth and economic prosperity would change the narrative and refuse to credit God as the source of His blessings.
Instead, he would begin to rationalize the handiwork of the Lord and ultimately explain it away as a product of his own abilities, power or greatness. Isn't that how we often behave? Do we not pray to God to intervene in our situations and turn round to explain how our intelligence and connections made a way for us?
The test of continuous gratitude to God is one we must all pass. It is easier to appreciate God when you're buffeted by challenges and you experience a lift. However, as you get more blessed, there is a temptation to start rationalizing your prosperity and relegating God from the equation. When that happens, the judgement becomes a stolen verdict.
Key Thought. If you can remain faithful and grateful, after experiencing God’s blessing, He will take you to an even greater height of glory. You're blessed indeed!