One of the most dangerous times in a believer’s life is when they’re coming out of a hard season and the storm clouds are dissipating.
Pastor Jeff Manion points to God’s words to His people in Deuteronomy 8 as a reminder. They’re about to exit the desert after a generation of wandering – they’re about to exchange the sand of the desert for the lavish land flowing with milk and honey.
This is a critical moment, and God reminds them as much.
“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God…”
“Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 8:1, 11-15
This is a warning for those coming out of a desert season to remember and be careful.
“It’s possible to draw near to God in the land between and trust Him, to cling to it and to remember and to continue to grow. And there’s also an opportunity to forget everything we’ve learned.”
Don’t forget what God has done. When our grief softens, or we find ourselves fully employed once again, or the marriage loss heals and you find yourself in a new relationship, our guard lowers and our entitlement rises.
As things are about to prosper, don’t forget the Lord your God.
Jeff calls this process a lifetime challenge. We’re called to worship the Giver, not the gift. And when the gift becomes our focus after a long time of waiting for it, we tend to turn our back to God and play with the gift instead.
How can we prepare our hearts as we leave the land of wandering and finally enter a season of gifts and plenty?
“Prosperity is not always a friend to growing faith. Good times – better times – are not automatically a friend to face. It is a challenge to turn to God in seasons of shortage. It’s a challenge to turn to God in seasons of abundance. [Take] a heart check to be able to say ‘God will be God. my spouse, child and savings account., my house and my car will not be.’ God desires to be God. And He resents intruders. It’s called idolatry. Our hearts are idol factories. And it is a challenge to turn to Him in bad times and in good.”
Key Scriptures: Hebrews 13:5-6; 2 Timothy 1:7; Numbers 11:5; Deuteronomy 8
Featured Songs: Calvary by Hillsong; Everything is Mine in You by Christy Nockels; Find Me at the Feet of Jesus by Christy Nockels
