Sermonette: Dec. 7, 2020

"But when you have eaten and are satisfied, you must bless the LORD, your God, for the good land he has given you. Be careful not to forget the LORD, your God, by failing to keep his commandments and ordinances and statutes which I enjoin on you today: lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built fine houses and lived in them, and your herds and flocks have increased, your silver and gold has increased, and all your property has increased, you then become haughty of heart and forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that house of slavery; he guided you through the vast and terrible wilderness with its seraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; he brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the wilderness with manna, a food unknown to your ancestors, that he might afflict you and test you, but also make you prosperous in the end.

“Otherwise, you might say in your heart, 'It is my own power and the strength of my own hand that has got me this wealth.' Remember then the LORD, your God, for he is the one who gives you the power to get wealth, by fulfilling, as he has now done, the covenant he swore to your ancestors. But if you do forget the LORD, your God, and go after other gods, serving and bowing down to them, I bear witness to you this day that you will perish utterly." Deuteronomy 8:10-18 (New American Bible)

After reading this passage from Sacred Scripture, the phrases that most capture my attention are " Be careful not to forget the LORD, your God," "lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied," "your herds and flocks have increased," "you then become haughty of heart and forget the LORD, your God," " you might say in your heart, 'It is my own power and the strength of my own hand that has got me this wealth.' Remember then the LORD, your God, for he is the one who gives you the power to get wealth."

A little perspective may help in understanding the content of this Bible passage. Moses is giving instructions to the people of Israel on how to live as they are about to cross the River Jordan into the Promised Land. Moses through God's guidance has successfully led the people out of slavery from Egypt and they have wandered around the desert for 40 years. They have been tested by God to trust in Him. Now those who have successfully endured the testing or their descendents are about to enter the Promised Land. The simple message is to never forget that it was God who gave Israel this land and the wherewithal for the people to produce wealth. If they forget this, the people are likely to believe it was only through their good fortune and know how that they had acquired this land and abundant wealth. Moses warned the people there were severe consequences to forgetting God.

Does this apply to us? Are there any lessons that we can learn from this Scripture passage? I believe the answer to both questions is "Yes." Do we have a tendency to forget God, especially in good times? Do we after we "have eaten our fill" or admired our "fine houses, increased herds, and flocks" give thanks to God? Or, do we say "Look at what I have achieved through MY hard work and effort. I am self-sufficient. No need to clutter my life with going to church on Sunday or to give thanks to God. I did this. This is all here because of my efforts alone."

If we admit that we are sometimes guilty of forgetting God, a nice way to start remembering Him could be saying a simple "Thank you, God" the next time we see a gorgeous sunset or sunrise, or finish eating our next meal. It is God who is the one to thank for all of these gifts. He loves us so much, He came down as an infant child to be with us and ultimately as an adult gave His life for us for our salvation. Let us not forget this during this Advent season and every day.