When is it easier to be close to God, when you are experiencing good times or difficult times? Is it easier to follow Him when our cup has been filled or when it is empty and we must rely on Him for everything that comes our way? It is human nature to think we will be more grateful in times of plenty, but God knows us better than that.
Scripture confirms that prosperity typically causes us to turn from God. A good example is the nation of Israel, which turned away from God time and again when fortunes were good. For example, in Deuteronomy 8, God speaks to the Israelites about this very matter. He has led them through the desert for nearly forty years, a horrible wilderness called the very shadow of death (Jeremiah 2:6). He soon will bring them into the land of plenty and He knows the good times will corrupt them. He knows they will abandon their normal, Godly ways and exhibit typical human behavior.
Of all human emotions, gratitude is perhaps the most short-lived. God knows this and warns the Israelites not to forget Him when they have eaten their fill of the fruit and splendor in their new land. He calls on them to be grateful unto Him when their herds and flocks have multiplied and when their silver and gold has increased. He cautions them not to become prideful and forget how He is the source of all they enjoy.
God warned His people with good reason. We know from His Word that Israel was quick to turn away from Him in times of prosperity. Frequently, God had to remind them of His graciousness and provision and bring them back into line by sending foreign nations to harass them. Many people marvel at how forgetful the Israelites were in remembering the source of their prosperity, but it is no different today.
We Americans are the most affluent and comfortable society in the history of the world, yet we are quick to forget in good times that our circumstances are not of our own making. We have become prideful and presume our knowledge and skills have brought us the good fortunes we enjoy. God was warning us, not just Israel, in Deuteronomy 8. We, too, have become proud and have largely forgotten the LORD God and His provision. As God predicted, we also tell ourselves, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me” (v. 17).
Prosperity is a huge temptation and most people mishandle it. When our net worth rises, our minds are prone to rise along with it in self-conceit, self-complacency, and self-confidence. We forget so quickly the humbleness we had when we were in a low position. We are quick, if not eager, to take pride in our countenance and forget that God is the true provider of both the wisdom and opportunity of our success (John 3:27). We tend to be basely ungrateful by being worse to God the better He is to us.
To make matters worse, modern advertising tells us we should desire more, that our own ambition and greed are healthy, and that the only obstacle to more wealth and success is our own laziness. Even better times lie ahead if we exert our own power. In contrast, God tells us not to wear ourselves out to get rich (Proverbs 23:4). Whereas we are not to be idle (2 Thessalonians 3:10), God calls us to have the wisdom to show restraint. The Tenth Commandment tells not to covet, but we do.
It is our duty as Christians to remember God’s hand in our times of prosperity. We must own, deep in our hearts, how God, and only God, is the source of everything we have been given. There is nothing we have gained on our own, it is only through Him that we are blessed. Those who admire themselves despise the LORD our God. We are already rich beyond belief, we just have to examine the wealth God has given us (Ephesians 3:8).
God teaches us that our prosperity is not a reward for any goodness we may have, our prosperity is a duty and a test. It is a test to see if will remember Him and be grateful always. It is a test to see how we share our prosperity with others, just as He shares His gifts with us. It is normal for Him to share generously both His love and His provision. He calls us to do the same with our fellow man. Ask yourself today whether you are being normal by living up to the duty He calls you to perform.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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