“When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Deuteronomy 6:10-12
Moses delivers this warning to the Israelites as they approached the end of their journey in the desert to enter the promised land. He tells them of all the things they will inherit when they inhabit the promised land, built by others who God drove out before them. He shows them the way that God has provided for them already, and how he will continue to do so when they reach their destination. However, God knows our tendencies, and he warns the people not to forget who gave them all of this.
When we need something from God, we often beg and plead with him in constant prayer. When we get what we wanted, the prayers cease. When life is hard we blame him and ask for something better. When life is good, we credit ourselves and save God for a rainy day.
I urge you now, do not forget the Lord.
If you’re a Christian, this verse applies perfectly to your life. You may think, “I’ve never been a slave,” and think this verse is irrelevant. But Paul says in Romans 6:6, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Don’t forget that before your salvation in Jesus you were a slave. Your sin ruled over you and you had no escape, until Jesus. Jesus allows us to put our slavery in sin to death and to rise up with him to be free. If anything, this warning applies even more to us now than it did to the Israelites.
Think of how much we’ve inherited! We are born into a world where Jesus has already lived, died, and risen from the grave. Jesus has already defeated death and sin and Satan once and for all. Jesus has already made the sacrifice necessary for our salvation. And Jesus has offered that salvation to us freely. Not that we must work for it, but that the work has already been finished. May we never forget all that God did for us to deliver us from this slavery into eternal freedom. May we never forget the bondage of sin and death that Jesus trampled under his feet. May we always remember that while we were dead in our sins, Christ died for us sinners. May we always remember the Lord who brought us out of our slavery and into new life.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank you for delivering me from the slavery of sin. Thank you for your salvation through Jesus. May I never forget all that you have done for me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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