The Spiritual Journey 2024 - Day 36: Don’t forget the good things the Lord has done.
- araratchurch
- Mar 11, 2024
- 3 min read
“What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me?“
Psalms 116:12 NKJV
In Moses’ rehearsal to the people concerning their 40 year wilderness journey, he gave them a very important warning.
“When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.“
Deuteronomy 8:10-11, 17, 19 NKJV
Moses reminded the people of what the Lord had said concerning the fact that prosperity would tempt them to forget what He had done for them. And notice, the Lord said that forgetting about Him, would be the result of their personally taking credit for their victories!
Sadly, we know that the children of Israel did go through periods of forgetting God, resulting in their idolatry and the ignoring of God’s commands. And, each period of their ingratitude and rebellion led to the destruction about which the Lord had warned.
The psalmist knew the importance of remembering what the Lord has done for us.
“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.“
Psalms 100:3-5 NKJV
Indeed, entrance into the Lord’s presence is facilitated by our thanksgiving and praise.
We live in a time where many people have developed a sense of entitlement. As such, any good things are received as being “deserved.” And, any shortfall of their expectations is met with anger and resentment.
Tragically, even some Christians have come to view the Lord with the same arrogance and ingratitude. In such cases, the emphasis has shifted from the rule of Christ to man’s rule.
Make no mistake, as that trend always ended badly for the children of Israel, it will end badly for anyone who forgets God.
”"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!"“
Psalm 50:22-23 ESV
Paul warned that the ingratitude we are seeing is one of the signs of living in the Last Days before the coming of Jesus.
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!“
II Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV
In today’s portion of Psalm 116 we see that the psalmist, having been delivered from destruction by the Lord, seeks to imagine what he could possibly give back in return.
Child of God, the Lord has done for us far above what we could have imagined; even now, we only realize a fraction of our benefits from the Lord.
“giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.“
Colossians 1:12-14 NKJV
Yes, through the Lord we have been delivered from darkness and destruction and have gained entrance into His holy Kingdom of light!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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