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Lent, Day 6, Monday March 2

The scripture readings for today are:
Psalms: 41, 52, 44; Deut. 8:11-18 Heb. 2:11-18 John 2:1-12

I am drawn to the text in Deuteronomy -- it is one of my favorite passages in all of the scripture, so it's a real treat to be able to spend some time in these daily readings in that passage. I am going to emphasize a few of the words/phrases for my own sake in today's reading. It says:,

Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (NASB)
11 "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today;
12 otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them,
13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies,
14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

15 "He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint.
16 "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.
17 "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.'
18 "But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

In a day and time when the economic news is the main news, and it's not usually good news, it is even more important to read those words and let them rest in our soul. There's warnings against: pride, selfishness, complacency, even prosperity!

Why is it that we so easily forget God?

I think we lack the intentionality, and intensity, that go along with a clear focus. As I got out of the car today a jet was overhead, making it's approach to the airport for landing and I thought, how many times has that pilot done that? Perhaps he/she is new and so is mentally thinking about every detail...he/she is focused and intense, and intentional. Perhaps he/she is a veteran and has done this 1000's of times. Wouldn't you and I - especially if we were on the plane - still want him/her to be focused and intentional? I purposely left out the word "intense" because intensity might not always serve our purposes, but to be focused, intentional does.

Should we be no less focused and intentional in our pursuit of God in living. Let us do so, so that we might not "forget" and therefore "assume" that we can live by our own "power and strength".

"O Lord, our Father, because without you we cannot please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit would in all things direct and rule our hearts, by faith in Jesus Christ, who lives with you and the Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."

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