Deuteronomy Chp 9
Once again in this passage I am reminded how God blesses us because he loves us and because he is graceful - that His blessings for us are gifts from God and we are to acknowledge them as such and not take for granted the Lord by thinking blessings are by our own hands.
In particular here is what hits me today is verse 6:
4 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. (verses 4-6)
When I read verse 6 I get that:
- I must understand and acknowledge that I will always be tempted to think of blessings in my life as the fruit of my own effort - I am no different from the Israelites in being a "stiff necked people"
- I must ask for God's protection from Satan and to be thankful for my blessings as an acknowledgement that they come from God alone
- My God
- My wife and all the great things she is and does for me and Zach and Dustin
- My children
- My family
- My health
- My job
- Fun things for me to enjoy like tennis, music
- My church
- My Christian brothers and sisters
- How the Lord provides
My Prayer: Lord, you are a great and gracious God and you bless me beyond imagination - of course above represents only a fraction of how you bless me! Thank you for loving me and blessing me even though I don't deserve it. I am sinful person and I harbor ill thoughts about others and I need your help to LOVE. Forgive me for my sin and help me overcome and help me seek you in daily conversation through prayer.
