After the great Shema comes a section of Deuteronomy that I highly recommend everyone memorize. It comes to my mind frequently and is a great reminder to hold on to, no matter what the economy looks like!

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land
of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build,
houses full of all good things, which you did not fill,
hewn-out wells which you did not dig,
vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—
when you have eaten and are full—
then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Deuteronomy 6:10-12

This passage is always very striking for me. Remember, this comes directly after the Great Shema and the associated discussion of posting the Truth on the door frames of your houses and binding it on your hands and forehead. Moses’ warning? Once God has fulfilled His promises to you and prospered you, don’t forget Him! Don’t turn to other gods!

It is amazing how quickly we humans turn away from the Lord. In times of difficulty, we question His character and sovereignty. In times of prosperity, we forget Him.

Honestly, I have been avoiding the news like the plague for the past few weeks – there seems to be a general spirit of panic about the economic downturn everywhere we look. For me, I have found that in order to keep my eyes on the Lord and not allow a spirit of fear into my life, I have to stay away from all of the discussion. I want to generally know what’s going on, but then need to step away and give it to the Lord.

It’s amazing, though, to watch people in times like these. We fret, we worry, we watch political debates with ashen faces wondering which candidate can save us out of our peril. Guess what? Neither can! These things we are grasping onto so tightly aren’t even ours to hold – they are God’s!

“Well, I worked hard for my __________ [car, house, 401K, vacation, etc.]“

Who gave you the ability to work? Who allowed you to find your job?

“God helps those who help themselves, you know!” [Shockingly little known fact: this statement isn't from the Bible! God never said this, Benjamin Franklin did!]

Actually, the Bible is full of the theme of God’s grace to the broken, utterly dependent people. Once we feel like we have accomplished something on our own and therefore deserve something good in return, we have begun to worship ourselves, feel autonomous, entitled.

When I taught High School Bible I frequently heard the mother of several of my students quoted by other teachers. I don’t know if I ever even met her, but her words have stuck with me ever since! Anytime someone would say, “Oh, good for you – you deserve it,” or some related phrase, she would answer, “No, I don’t deserve it. I deserve hell. God gave me grace.” Amen! This wise woman understood that we are entitled to nothing except the earned punishment for our sin. Anything else is a gift.

So, as you watch the news tonight, remember: What’s the worst that could happen? What if we lost our income? Our house? Would God forget us? Is He unable to provide for us? Even in the very worst of times, God has never lost control – He is very firmly seated on the throne of the universe. His plan might look different from yours – but you can trust Him.

Over the past few months AG and I have learned about birds off and on. Obviously, the most common visitors to our little bird feeder are sparrows. I love to tell her what Jesus taught about the sparrows:

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7

Those little birds are so common and insignificant, I sometimes wish they wouldn’t eat all the birdseed so that we could save it for more exciting visitors! But God knows each one. How much more does He know and value us, His creation, the ones He purchased out of bondage and made to be His own?

We live in an exceedingly prosperous nation. At our worst we are better off than most of the world. And we have forgotten that it is all a gift – that God, in His great mercy, has blessed us in order that we would be a blessing. That He purchased us from bondage and showered us with undeserved blessings.

Beware, lest you forget.