After four hundred years of living like slaves, the Israelites were about to take possession of the promised land. And God had a concern. What was it? The same concern He has about each of us. When you have little, you realise how dependent you are on God. But when you have much, your tendency is to forget God, the source of every blessing. Note what David said when God’s people gave generously to build the temple: ‘All things come from You, and of Your own we have given You…God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house…is all Your own’ (1 Chronicles 29:14, 16 NKJV). The prayer David prayed that day left a lasting impression on his son Solomon, who later wrote: ‘As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labour – this is the gift of God’ (Ecclesiastes 5:19 NKJV). You say, ‘I worked hard to get to the top in my career’ or ‘I worked hard to build this business.’ Who gave you the strength? Who gave you the talent? Who gave you the strategy, the connections, and the resources to do it? If you think it was you, read this Scripture, write it down, and carry it with you: ‘Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go”’ (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.