1149. Beware Lest Thou Say
Beware Lest Thou Say
"Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage:
"Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end" (Deu_8:14, Deu_8:16).
When the heart forgets God, the lips will profane Him. There are two things suggested.
1. "Then thine heart be lifted up."
2. "And thou say in thine heart, My power and might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth."
How true it is that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." It seems utterly impossible that a man who brought nothing into this world, and who can take nothing out of it; that a man who is a recipient of every good and perfect gift, from the hand of God, should lift up his heart and boastfully say, "Mine own hand hath gotten me this wealth."
Suppose a man does apply himself; suppose he is successful in accumulating vast stores of goods; suppose, through skill, he does add house to house and land to land; has he any room to boast? Is it not God Who gives, and is it not God Who can take away? It is God Who gives us power to get wealth.
The first king of the first world empire walked upon the walls of the world's greatest city, Babylon, and he said: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" No sooner were the words spoken than there fell a voice from Heaven saying, "The kingdom is departed from thee." For seven years Nebuchadnezzar was made to wander with the beasts of the field; he ate grass like an ox; his body was wet with the dew of heaven; his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws, until he knew that the Most High God ruled in the kingdom of man and gave it to whomsoever He would.
The children of this world, and the children of God, both need to fall on their faces, and acclaim the Lord God as the Lord of all, as the giver of every good and perfect gift.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR