Matters of Faith: Weekly Column: Remember the Lord Your God.

Remember The Lord Your God

By Reverend J. Loren Russell

 

Deuteronomy 8:11-13, 17-18 NKJV

“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, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied…,then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. “And you shall remember the Lord your 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.”

The second time the law was shared. The second time they were warned to obey the law. The second time they were instructed to keep their mind stayed on the Lord. It was not going to be enough.

When the Israelites came out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery, they weren’t ready for the blessings the Lord had in store for them. For forty years they wondered the wilderness while the Lord used Moses to give instruction and impart wisdom to the people so that they would prosper in the Promise Land they were going to receive. 

Beware is a strong word of instruction for the Israelites to be cautious, careful and on the lookout for anything that could enter their minds and take their thoughts away from the things the Lord had done for them. He bought them through the wilderness, and they are now on the precipice of the Promise Land. The warning is for them not to think that they made it to the Promise Land, are eating from farms that they did not cultivate, living in beautiful homes they did not build, shepherding animals they did not raise, drinking from wells they did not dig, or enjoying wealth they did not earn because of their own power or abilities.

They were warned about wrongly boasting, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.”

Moses was trying to help them avoid the destruction of a prideful spirit. Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” The admonition for the Israelites and for us is to always remember the Lord our God.

Just like the Children of Israel, pride tells us that we deserve all the blessings we are now experiencing. After all, we completed certain levels of education, we have worked hard, and have made sacrifices to be in the positions we now find ourselves. But Moses’ warning to the Israelites is just as applicable to us, remember the Lord your God.

The blessings we are experiencing today are from the overflow from promises He made to our ancestors. Our current day blessings of power, prestige, and wealth are fulfilling promises the Lord made to our forefathers who suffered like the slaves that came out of Egypt. Neither the Israelites then, or you or I today, have any right to brag or boast.

During this season of Advent, in anticipation of the coming or arrival of the greatest gift ever given to mankind, a gift that is available to everyone, let us follow the instruction of Moses to the Children of Israel as they anticipated their entry into the Land of Promise; “Remember the Lord your 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.”

Be Blessed!

 

Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of both LaGree Baptist Church and the Evangelical Church of God, all in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096), and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook Live. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on YouTube and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smash words.com/books/view/993177.