Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them … and all that you have is multiplied; 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 bondage. (Deuteronomy 8:11-14)
There is an important and prevailing truth revealed here: neglecting obedience to God advances a forgetfulness of God. When one generation becomes slack in its dedication to adhere to Biblical principle, you can rest assured that the next generation will take disobedience to the next level. In time, the negligence introduced by one generation will have spawned an outright disregard and disdain for God. The prosperity that was intended to be a blessing for the former will become a reason for the latter, now disobedient and feeling entitled, to completely ignore the One who provided those blessings.
This warning not only applied to Moses’ generation but applies to this one as well, especially in the West. It should be obvious to most that, especially in America, this is exactly what has happened in our society. More disturbing is the fact that this malady has found its way into the Body of Messiah. It is not uncommon for some believers in this day and time to buy into the mindset that, somehow or the other, we are entitled to these blessings with no regard to the responsibility that goes hand in glove with the benefits. Frankly, that mentality is more in line with Esau’s attitude than with Jacob (Israel).
That this is a problem in the last days, there can be no doubt. In fact, the prophet Malachi speaks plainly to our forgetfulness when he, inspired by the Spirit of God, writes about the coming of Elijah and his mission to call the children to “remember” the instructions given to them previously. Why would someone need to provoke us to remember? Because we have forgotten; we have forgotten the One who blessed us with food, homes and all that comes from a beneficent God. Let’s put it this way: the same God who gave Israel manna from heaven and water from a rock is the same God who gave us a home, food to eat and clothes to wear. We should never forget that and we can demonstrate that we remember Him in all things by doing what He has instructed us to do. As it is written, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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