So. I’ve made it to Job so far in my ‘read through the Bible in a year plan’ …joy! Well, Job isn’t the most joyful book, but it is definitely eye opening none the less. Anyways, back up a few weeks and to the book of Nehemiah. Honestly, I’m not sure if I had ever really read Nehemiah before. I guess it just kind of slipped between the cracks. Or something like that. Well, I am glad I finally read it, because it was very interesting and insightful. Essentially, the book is written from Nehemiah’s perspective, and deals with the Israelite’s third return to Jerusalem (after captivity) and the rebuilding of the city walls, along with the restoration of their faith.
One verse that stuck out to me was this…
“Even when they (the Israelites) were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them, in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.” Nehemiah 9:35
Let me back up and explain. The Israelites were guilty of adhering to what I like to call a “cycle of faith”. They would turn away from God for a season, become desperate and turn back to Him, only to turn away from Him yet again. And this cycle was not only present in Nehemiah—this was an age-old problem for the Israelites, even dating back to their time in the desert with Moses. Essentially, as this verse points out, God would bless the Israelites, and they would immediately begin to turn away from him yet again. His blessings made them feel independent and self sufficient instead of grateful for the things God had given them. They felt that these blessings came as a direct result of their “own” success (not from God) which eventually caused them to turn away from Him, thinking that they didn’t need Him and could do things just fine on their own. Hmmm…
When we receive blessings in our daily lives what is our reaction? Are we grateful for what God has blessed us with, or do we begin to feel prideful—thinking, like the Israelites, that the blessing actually came from our own success? I’d like to think that I am always grateful. I think for the most part I am—or at least at first. Until I start to get comfortable. But you see this is where the problem begins—the point where you start to get too comfortable in your blessing, is when you begin to forget that it actually came from God to begin with. When we get too comfortable, we start to think that the goodness we are experiencing is actually coming from our own success. That God had nothing to do with it. Bringing us right in to that lovely “cycle of faith” that the Israelites constantly fell in to. Cry out to God when we need Him, start to forget about Him when we are blessed, only to fall again and cry out, be blessed…you see where I’m going with this I think. Let’s not fall into that trap. Make a point of thanking God everyday for the blessings He has given you. Remember that nothing is possible without him, but everything is possible with his help. We’re human. We aren’t capable of doing things on our own. When you are successful, it’s not because you did something fantastic—it’s because God allowed you, helped you, pushed you and encouraged you to do it. I’m as guilty of this misconception as anyone. My goal is to be more mindful of the blessings God places in my life, and more humble in the face of success. How about you?
Lord, help me to recognize your blessings, and always be grateful for them. I’m sorry for getting too comfortable and thinking I am the cause of said blessings. Thank you for every blessing I have received today, and every day. Amen.