Plenty

"When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws."  Deuteronomy 8:10-11

My family asks me every Christmas and every birthday what I would like for a gift. I typically meet this question with a perplexed look on my face followed up with an awkward, "Um ... I don't know." I'm kind of a simple guy with no real desire for a lot of stuff. Being healthy, well-fed, and sheltered, I don't really think about wanting anything. Unfortunately, I too often forget to be thankful for what I've been given.

Moses was fully aware of the human propensity to lose sight of the giver of the blessings in the midst of the blessings. It's easy to start assuming that this is the way it will always be or worse that somehow God owes us a happy, healthy, full life. Moses warned the people with a strong, "Beware!" The life of plenty can quickly devolve into the life of disobedience.

What can save us from this cycle of failure? Moses tells them and us for that matter the secret to avoiding this cycle - praise, be careful, and remember. Does the Lord hear a continuous "thank you" coming from us? Are we aware when the entitled attitude starts to stick out its ugly head? Do we regularly remind ourselves and others just how good God has been? Now would be a great time to do so.

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