Moses lost the chance to lead the people of God into the promised land because of his anger. (I can relate to the anger thing) But before he died he challenged them to remember and honor God’s commands once they possessed the land. He was concerned that a comfortable lifestyle would interfere with their desire for God.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 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 8:10-14
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
He was right to be concerned. Life did get cozy and they did forget God. Then when life unraveled they cried out to God for help and He rescued them. We see this roller coaster pattern over and over and over again in this period of Israel’s history. But I see the same pattern today, even in myself.
According to Philip Yancey, “Alexandr Solzhenitsyn says that he first learned to pray in a Siberian concentration camp. He turned to prayer because he had no other hope. Before his arrest, when things were going well, he had seldom given God a thought.”
So let me pose the question that struck at the heart of the matter and greatly challenged me.
Do you think most about God when things are going well or when you are in trouble?
***
© Richard Alvey and iLife Journey, 2014. All rights reserved.
A ragamuffin in awe of God's grace and glory... pursuing real life in Jesus.
Good question…..