Hurt So Good

“You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

“Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments,.. lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied,.. then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground.., who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna.., that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth… And if you forget the Lord and go after other gods… and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.” Deuteronomy 8:10-19

Moses spoke with authority and love. His words encouraged and admonished. He instructed God’s people, his people, to take care to make the most of the incredible blessings they’d received and would procure from God. He knew weak flesh, pride, the fickle human heart. And he knew they’d be the downfall of a people set apart for holiness. So he explained that if they strayed into smugness and thinking they deserved everything over which God had made them only stewards, and could use it for their own ends, they’d be corrected, even punished. God would impose hurt so good would result. Under His punishment they’d hurt so good they’d learn their lesson never to touch His glory or ownership. (Numbers 20:7-13; Isaiah 42:8; 48:11)

When we enjoy fruits of our labors and receive bounty from the Lord, directly or through others, we might forget the reasons He has blessed us. Pleasure becomes self-perpetuating and like adrenaline stokes a sense of greed or desert. We zero in on stuff and strokes and lose the higher view. But God is the One who gives power to get wealth, He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and bestows blessing to humble us toward Him and make us grateful. He will not put up with puffed up personal pride. He loves us too much to let us slip into such foolish idolatry. (1 Chronicles 29:11-13; James 1:17)

Do I jealously claim God’s ownership over all in my realm and care every day? What portion of my prayer time is devoted to thanksgiving? How would my attitude change if I opened, rather than clenched, my hands? Where am I experiencing hurt that the Lord intends for a greater good? Where is He testing me as divine good, and how am I faring with stewardship and utilization for the good of others?

Lord, please give me a daily heart of wisdom, appropriating time and resources with thanksgiving as Your gifts. Make me grateful for hurts You deliver for good, to bring You glory. (Psalm 90:12,15)