Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8:15-20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Ability. It’s defined as:
1. the quality or state of being able.
2. the physical, mental, or legal power to perform
3. competence in doing : skill
4. natural aptitude or acquired proficiency
We all have ability or abilities whether it be in the way of skills or competencies we have developed, acquired proficiencies or natural aptitudes. Indeed, we travel a road of discovery in our lives from beginning to end.
So as we discover these abilities and put them to use, the question is: Who do we give credit for them? Unfortunately, too often the answer is one’s self…something I call the “I Syndrome”.
This syndrome is an easy trap to fall into and one Satan is ever eager to lead us into. It revolves around self-pride in your accomplishments and is often fueled by the compliments of others who want to let you know how well you displayed your abilities in whatever way you have displayed them. In return, you acknowledge their compliments by taking credit for what you’ve done.
For example, I like to sing and have performed many times over. And every time I have sang, I have had people come up to me and tell me how good of a singer I am. It would be very easy for me to take credit for my efforts and tell them that I have practiced and worked hard to be as good as I am. But I would be only telling part of the truth. Why? Because although I had practiced and worked hard, any part of me being as good was all because of God and God alone.
So back to my example and what really happens every time I perform a song…or write a devotional message…or do anything that might garner appreciation from someone. I give God all the glory. For I could do nothing without Him. He is the One who has blessed me with ability. He is the one who has allowed me to be competent in skills. He and only He has given me natural aptitude…in fact, He created aptitude and that’s why it is “natural” in the first place.
Well in our scripture today, Moses reinforces this ideal of acknowledging God first before yourself. He tells Israel, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” Moses speaks from experience here. God has taught him the dangers of taking credit where it is due God. For you’ll recall that it was he and Aaron who took credit for bringing water from the rock when they were only doing it through the power of God not by their own. This error cost Moses the opportunity to lead Israel into Canaan. In other words, his inability to credit God cost him his privilege and ability to lead Israel to the Promised Land.
Friends, we need to learn from the mistake of Moses. We need to lift God up at every opportunity and render all honor to Him. Anything good that comes from us only comes from the goodness He has planted within us. Any talents we possess are blessings from Him that are to be recognized and praised, in public and in private. And any appreciation, adulation, acclimation or commendation we receive should be deferred and deflected from above…to the One through which all good things come…to the One from whom all blessings flow and flow abundantly. In the end, I pray that as Christians we might be more and more like God’s Son who we claim to be like…our Savior who said Himself:
"If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the One who glorifies me.” John 8:54
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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