ByTime and time again, I’ve consistently heard how many people yearn for comfortable living. Citizens are complaining to the government about bad roads; families are working towards building and living in comfortable homes; young men, especially, buy home appliances, clothes and other material things, etc. It’s sad to say that many people, including several Christians, are not mindful of God’s work. Instead, they are chasing after their selfish gains. And even though some have gotten what they were pursuing, most still live unfulfilled. What tragedy!
That is the same attitude the Israelites who left Egypt were. They lived under oppression for a while before God sent Moses to deliver them. But in the wilderness, almost all of them forgot how oppressive they were treated. So they started complaining to Moses, Aaron and other appointed leaders. Some of them even wished to go back to Egypt. Imagine that! God, seeing these complaints, killed all of them in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb. I mean the generation that left Egypt wasn’t the same generation that entered the promise.
The tendency to forget where you came from
Many people don’t appreciate how far God has brought them because they have forgotten their nasty track record in life. That was what the Israelites did. They were so forgetful that God told Moses to tell them never to forget Him after they had good conditions of life in the land of Canaan.
[11] “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, [12] lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; [13] and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; [14] 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; [15] who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; [16] who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— [17] then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ ”
Deuteronomy 8:11-17 (NKJV)
Please take your time to read the above verses again. Don’t skip it! These are the things God told Moses to tell the Israelites, even the new generation, before speaking on the power to get wealth in the next verse.
Maybe you’re one of those who easily forget what others have done to help you get to where you are. Let this be a lesson to you.
Remember the Lord
Now to the central scripture for this article – Deuteronomy 8:18.
[18] “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV [Boldface Mine]
It’s interesting how this verse starts with remembering the Lord. That means, aside from recalling how far God has brought you, you shouldn’t also forget the Lord of the process.
Are you moving to greater heights in life where you’ve started getting material things many people work hard for? That tendency to think it’s by your lot that you got them can trick you into putting the God-factor aside. Don’t be deceived by this worldly way of thinking.
This Earth is not your home; it is not. 1 Peter 1:17 says,
“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;”
1 Peter 1:17 (NKJV)
Never live a day without acknowledging God for who you are.
The force behind getting wealth
Now to the grand one. According to Deuteronomy 8:18, God is the one who gives His people power to get wealth. That means, wealth creation, in its entirety, doesn’t happen by natural occurrences. There’s a force behind it. And it’s God who has that power.
Nevertheless, aren’t you aware that people are living on the face of this Earth who don’t regard God, yet they are very rich? What force did they use to get such wealth? Well, I can’t judge because I don’t know them personally. However, some, although unknowledgeable about scripture, have used some business principles in the Word to make their wealth. One is sowing and reaping.
If it’s written that you’ll reap what you’ll sow, then using that principle will work for anybody as far as the Earth persists (Genesis 8:22, Galatians 6:7). You don’t need to be born again to harvest crops in the place you sown seeds. You only have to know and practise that principle.
Don’t be lazy, friend. Ask the Lord to give you the power to get wealth, not to amass it unto yourself, but to help promote God’s diversified works on the Earth.
Shalom!
