The Blessing Is Not Meant To Destroy You; Find It's Purpose

There is so much talk of love in this month of February, so it's a good time to remind ourselves of how much God wants us to love Him in return for Him loving us, even when we have become great. He has also said that our love for Him is expressed in our obeying His word. So, as we trust God to bless us in this year, we must be minded not to get carried away. We cannot afford to get carried away by the "gods" of the people around us who get attracted to us because of God's blessings upon us. This is something that probably can happen to the best of believers. God is so desperate for us not to be lured away that He does a lot to help us build character so that we are strong enough to bear success "successfully."

Deuteronomy 6: 11,12,14 "The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations."

Deuteronomy 8: 2-3 "Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands...He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

From what we see happening today, just like the Israelites, we are falling prey to the "gods" of the people around us. God chose to dispossess them and transfer their wealth to us but we forget God and begin to think our wisdom and/or craftiness got us all we have. As soon as we begin to appear successful, our priories change; we take on the priorities of the world playing in their turf and even beating them at the worship of their own "gods." Anything one esteems so highly that it becomes so important and causes one to compromise one's relationship with God willingly or unwillingly becomes their god. These things happen so subtly that very often we don't know when we cross the line. The sad thing is whether or not you know is unimportant; when you cross the line you have crossed it and God is displeased.

Deuteronomy 8: 15- 18 "Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath."

I realize that it is indeed God's good pleasure that we partake of the abundance that is His but a lot of us never even enter into the fullness of that which God ordained for us because we get carried away by the "gods" of the unbelievers. These "gods" can be anything from cars and even fashion to handmade gods or even man. Unfortunately at that point, God may choose to leave you where you are at until you eventually start falling. Sadly sometimes we don't realize God has left us until it is too late. Israel did not realize the glory had departed until the Ark was taken from them in battle neither did Samson realize until his enemies took and bound him gorging out his eyes. We must be very mindful of God and watch out for pride which has a way of blinding us so that we don't realize that the glory has departed until it's too late. Sadly, people may continue to celebrate you even after the glory has departed; they may not even know that it has. The Philistines were still afraid of Israel until they took the Ark; they thought the God of Israel was still with them. You owe it to yourself to tell yourself the truth even if others lie to you. If you make diligent search, you will know when the glory has left even if no one else knows.

Deuteronomy 8: 11-14 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt."

The truth is we are nearer the end now more than ever before. I do not fully understand all the end time prophecies but one thing is certain men are beginning to love self more than ever before which is definitely one of the signs of the coming of the end of all things. We cannot get caught in that trap. The unbeliever may not fully understand it because it is yet to be revealed to them but you and I understand it so we must make God the focus of our doings even as He blesses us. We cannot afford to get carried away. There is a purpose bigger than you for every blessing; find it that you may not abuse the blessing.