MEMORISE: “Bless the LORD, O my all soul, and forget not his benefits:” – Psalm 103:2
BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (KJV)
11 “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, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it isHe who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
A good study of the Scriptures will show you that probably the worst sin anyone can commit is that of ingratitude. Anyone who neither appreciates what has been done for him or her, nor knows how to show gratitude, cannot go far in life. When you read the story of the origin of sin in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden, you will see what I am talking about.
God gave man an entire garden. It wasn’t Adam who planted the garden. God had planted the garden and everything he would ever need was there. God then said He wanted to reserve just one tree for Himself. Man still went ahead and ate from that tree that was reserved for God. Therefore God said, “Well, if you don’t appreciate all the things in this garden, then maybe you should leave it and go out to fend for yourself”
In Malachi 3:8-10, where God says if you don’t bring all the tithes to His house, you are cursed, what He is actually saying is, “What is wrong with you? Whatever you have, I gave it to you. How come you can’t even say thank you with 10%?” When you read 1 Samuel 15 and compare it with 1 Samuel 10, you will see why God was so angry with King Saul.
“When I wanted to appoint you king, you yourself said ‘Me of all people? My tribe is the smallest in Israel, my family is the smallest in my tribe, I am the smallest in my family and you want to make me a king”? Saul even went to hide because he himself saw that he was nothing. Now, God sent him on a mission and he didn’t carry out the instructions of the Lord.
When the man of God came to talk to him in 1 Samuel 15 he reminded him that he was small even in his own eyes; Bible in one year: how come he had now become so big that he had forgotten the One who promoted him? If you wait for God to remind you of His benefits towards you, then you are in trouble. However, if you make it a duty to always appreciate Him for His benefits in your life, then you will keep going higher and higher.
David in our memory verse for today said he would never forget God’s benefits towards him. That is why he kept rising until he became father to the King of kings. The elders in Africa have a saying that when you have done good to someone and the fellow is ungrateful, it is as if you have been attacked by an armed robber. Don’t let God see you as an armed robber.
PRAYER POINT: Make a list of all the benefits of God in your life and thank Him specially for each of them
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 120 – 124
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – The Sin of Ingratitude – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 18 July 2022
