Be careful when you become rich
Deuteronomy 6:10-19 (NIV)
10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you;15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.17 Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.
In our spiritual lives, we must be more careful during times of comfort rather than times of difficulty. When there is nothing wrong and you are wealthy and think you have no need for anything else, it is the most dangerous point in which your spirituality can suffer. We see too often people cry out to God for help and once they receive it, they soon forget who helped them.
In our scripture, Moses tells the Israelites of the blessings they are going to receive in the promised land but warns them to make sure to live their lives remembering who provided all the blessings and to continue to worship God.
Today, I want us to learn what we need to be cautious about in order to live the right spiritual life.
1. We must be careful not to become complacent in our faith.
2. We must be careful to not forget God.
1) We can forget him when we live our lives according to “our” will.
2) Be cautious when you become rich.
3. We must be careful of idols.
4. We must be careful to not test God.
1) Resentment and tests arise from unbelief.
2) Unbelief arises from challenging God’s authority.
Application
1. . My loving brothers and sisters! Are you giving thanks to God for the blessed life you have received? Continue to remember God and prioritize him as the most important thing in your life.
2. Don’t ever doubt God’s abilities and have complete faith and trust in Him as you live your life.
3. If by chance, in your life, you face a difficulty or an obstacle, don’t despair nor resent nor complain but rather put all your effort and strength to reaching out to God for his intervention.
4. When God blesses you with riches and glory, make sure to not become complacent, to not forget God, to not make idols of the things of this world, to not complain, resent nor despair, and to not test God.
