Prime Times to Forget God

Read: Deuteronomy 7-8 & Psalm 53-55
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations…” Deuteronomy 7:9

Examine:
Moses slowed the people of Israel down and took them back through their history. He brought the good, the bad and the ugly before them and encouraged them to remember the goodness of God that was revealed to them through it all.

Apply:
There are seasons of life when it is easy to forget the faithfulness of God, to not feel His unfailing love, and to become uncertain about His position of LORD God. In this passage I see three primary times when I am at risk of doing this. First, there are seasons of plenty. In the midst of God blessing the works of my hands, it is really easy to lose sight of the fact that it was God who gave me the ability to reach a comfortable place. When I have everything I need and there are no worries, I need to be really careful in ensuring that I hold on loosely to things and make sure that I remember to stay dependent on God.

It is also easy to lose sight of God under the weight of prolonged adversity. The wilderness is a dark and lonely place. If my objective ever shifts away from being close to God and instead my focus becomes centered on escaping the wilderness, then I have put myself at risk. If God’s timing for deliverance does not happen to be mine, then I will feel rejected and be tempted to fall away. My focus in wilderness times should always be on drawing near to God, finding strength for my soul, and abandoning my desires. Those things will always carry me into the heart of God.

Finally, losing sight of the LORD my God is tempting in the face of real and present dangers. Faith in God requires that I believe in things that I have never seen. This is all well and good but there are seasons of life when threats come against me that are very visible. As I calculate the odds and stare in the face of my enemies, it is really easy to forget the power of my unseen God. During these times I have to hold fast to the things that I know about God and make sure that the meditations of my heart return me to the greatness of my God.

Pray:
Whatever the seasons of life may be, the unyielding fact is that You remain the same. I am grateful for Your unchanging nature, the unbreakable covenant You made through Christ, and the steadfast love with which You pursue me. In seasons that I find my barns full, I want to keep my eyes on You and never find my security in the works of my hands. During times of walking in the wilderness, I want to purge my heart of the things that distract me from You and learn deeply of Your character and heart. When I find myself staring in the face of adversity, I want to fight knowing that it is You who gives victory and never be intimidated by what my eyes see. You are the LORD my God; my only God. I do not want to ever give glory to another. I pray that You maintain Your proper place in my heart today.

Enjoy in Excess

Read: Deuteronomy 5-6 & Psalm 51-52
“Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” Psalm 51:6

Examine:
This is a Psalm of repentance. David wrote this following Nathan calling him out for sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband. In this Psalm David models that repentance is more than just feeling sorry for what was done. True repentance is turning and a determination to move forward in a new direction. It is allowing the wisdom and grace of God to change the truth that one’s heart contains.

Apply:
Many times it is easy to read the scriptures and focus my attention on the things that I should not do. There is a time for that. There is also a time to just pause and give my attention to the things God has provided for me to enjoy without limits. In this Psalm I see three things. First, I can always ask God to create in me a pure heart and a right spirit. My deepest desire and delight in life should be to have a heart that is unencumbered by guilt or evil and to have a spirit that accurately reflects Christ. My prayers should never cease in asking God for this.

Second, I can ask God to restore the joy of my salvation and give me a willing spirit. Salvation is not a burden. There is supposed to be joy to it. Salvation is not a “have to” deal. It is supposed to be a “want to” affair. There are days that the joy slips and I feel like I am being drug along. I should never stop running to God and asking Him to bring joy to my obedience and willingness to my spirit.

Finally, I can open my lips and praise God. Praise cannot be manufactured. As I open my lips the contents of my heart are revealed in the words that I speak. The result of the first two things I listed above is a heart that produces praise to God. As my heart is broken and my spirit is made contrite, I find the humility I need to truly acknowledge the beauty of God, the joy of my salvation, and the peace of His grace completing its work inside of me.

Pray:
Father, I do not want to just be sorry for my sins; I want to be in a passionate pursuit of You, Your truth, and Your ways. I pray that You give me a clean heart and a right spirit. I want everything inside of me to be aimed at You. I also ask that You restore the joy of my salvation. There is no dread in following after You. The dread is always a result of me placing a higher value on the things I desire for myself. Please lead me today to find no greater joy than following after You.