Henry Blackaby met with a group of Chinese pastors who had faced harsh persecution from the Chinese government under Mao. During their visit, the Chinese pastors shared with Blackaby, “We believe we have done better under persecution than the American church has under prosperity.”
God warned the Israelites not to forget Him when they experienced prosperity in the promised land.
“Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes that I am commanding you today.
When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them and when your herds and flocks have multiplied and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied,
Then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness.” (Deuteronomy 8:11-15).
How do we forget the Lord? We forget Him by not following His commandments, ordinances, and statutes. We also forget Him when we become prideful, thinking we achieved things on our own that He has given us.
The Power to Get Wealth
I often have to remind myself of how lost and unsuccessful I was before Jesus became part of my life. I’ve experienced a fair amount of success, and I’m very grateful for that.
Deep down, I know that my success comes from the truth of what Jesus said: if I abide in him and he abides in me, I can accomplish much (John 15:5). This is the only reason for my success.
When I become prosperous, I need to remember that it is God who has made it possible, not me. This is what Moses told the Israelites, and it remains true today, just as it was then.
“Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.’
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
An Idol of Wealth
When I was in seminary in New Orleans, I attended a church service where a woman shared her story of conversion. She had been the madam of the largest prostitution house in Las Vegas. Her story was dramatic and lengthy.
After she finished, the guest speaker went to the microphone. He said, “I want you to take your spiritual temperature. How many of you were more concerned that this woman spoke for a long time, rather than rejoicing over how God transformed her life?”
Idols often show themselves through what captures our attention. We realized this when a woman spoke, and instead of celebrating God’s love in her life, we kept checking our watches.
The Israelites had tempting idols in their day like our obsession with time and self-interest today.
If you do forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.
Like the nations that the Lord is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:19-20).
We are surrounded by cultural idols. Magazine covers highlight famous people, social media is filled with so-called “influencers,” and stock market quotes appear in every newscast. These things draw us away.
Have we forgotten God in our prosperity? Let’s be sure to return to God and give Him our full attention and devotion.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 