Recently I ran into someone from my high school days. I soon realized that I was talking to someone that had been up and down financially more than I could personally handle. He has been very successful in more than one business venture, only to lose it all, and then start over again. This last venture, however, had pretty much cost him everything. He went on to explain that large amounts of capital had gone into product that now sits in a warehouse, with little to no hope of distribution. I asked him, what he was going to do? His reply was, “I am going to go back to church.” The key part of his response is go back. He explained that at one time, he and his family were very involved in their church, gave generously to missions, and were always looking for ways to use their financial blessings to be a blessing to others. He said that as the business grew, they got busier and busier, and consequently had less time for the things of God. He said that before long, they had completely stopped attending church. And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, Deuteronomy 8:17-18a The Lord warned the Israelite to be very careful when they entered the new land of promise and prosperity. They would be tempted to think that their success and wealth were of their own doing. But the Lord wanted them to remember that He was the One who brought them up from the land of Egypt. He was the One who delivered them from slavery and bondage. He was the One who brought them to this land of blessings. We sure can be so arrogant as humans. Not only do we start to think that we have made our own way by our own strength, but we also turn away from the One who blessed us in the first place. That is what happened to the Israelite and that is what happened to my friend. When times are hard, we cry out to God for help. We press into Him. He is our only hope. We tend to be less attentive to God when we are doing well and life is cruising along. Regardless of where we are today, we need to remember one thing: we have a Lord and Savior who only wants us. We have a Lord who desires to be with us, have a relationship with us, and wants us to desire Him above anything else in the world. He is a jealous God and He will do whatever it takes to get our attention. We should strive to draw closer to Him each and every day. We should continually pray that we do not fall away. If any of you have, no problem just come back to Him. Do not get caught up in the things of life and lose sight of your relationship with Jesus. Stay with Him so He does not have to come get you back. Ponder these things! SELAH!
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 08:51:47 +0000