Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 7
Sunday


THE DANGERS
OF SUCCESS

READ:
Deuteronomy 8:6-18
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Beware that you do not
forget the LORD your
God by not keeping
His commandments,
His judgments, and
His statutes.
__Deuteronomy 8:11
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Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said that he learned to pray in a Siberian concentration camp because he had no other hope. Before his arrest, when things were going well, he seldom gave God a thought.

Similarly, the Israelites learned the habit of depending on God in the Sinai wilderness where they had no choice; they needed His daily intervention just to eat and drink. But when they finally stood on the banks of the Jordan River, they awaited a more difficult test of faith. After they entered the land of plenty, would they soon forget God?

The Israelites knew little about the seductions of other cultures, having spent their lives in the desert. Moses was more afraid of the coming prosperity than the rigors of the desert__the alluring sensuality, the exotic religions, the glittering wealth. The Israelites might put God behind them and credit themselvs for their success (Deut. 8:11,17).

Ironically, success makes it harder to depend on the Lord. The Israelites did prove less faithful after they moved into the Promised Land. Again and again they turned their hearts to to other gods.

Beware of the temptation that success brings. There is grave danger in getting what we want. __Phiip Yancey
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```````````````````I blindly ask for what I crave,`````````````````
`````````````````With haughty heart and will so stout;``````````````
````````````````````He oft denies me what I seek,````````````````
`````````````But gives me grace to do without. __Anon.````````````
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There is no failure more disastrous
than the success that leaves God out.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Deuteronomy 8:6-18

6 Therefore you shall keep
the commandments of the
LORD your God, to walk in
His ways and to fear Him.

7 For the LORD your God is
bringing you into a good
land, a land of brooks of
water.... 9 a land in which
you will eat bread without
scarcity, in which you will
lack nothing....

10 When you have eaten and
are full, then you shall bless
the LORD your God for the
good land which He has
given you. 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.... 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.


18 And you shall remember
the LORD you God, for it is
He who gives you power to
get wealth, that He may
establish His covenant which
He swore to your fathers, as
it is this day.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Moses makes it clear that, in the midst of success, our focus
must remain on God. In verse 18 he tells the Israelites, "You shall
remember the LORD your God." If we permit distractions, we will lose
sight of God's graciousness to us. __Bill Crowder