“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath.., that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from… slavery, from the Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
“Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised.
“Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations.., and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers…
“Know, therefore,.. you are a stubborn people. Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness… You have been rebellious against the Lord.” Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 9:3-7
Moses repeatedly reminds the Israelites whose they are. He knows well how man can get in the way, and keeps turning them to the Lord their God who chose them as His treasured possession, set His love on them, delivered and redeemed them to be His people, receive His gifts, keep and carry His word to the world. Remember Him. Their taking of the promised land would be all God’s doing, not theirs. They were never to take credit nor touch His glory, only to revolve their lives around Him and His plans. (Numbers 20:10-12)
Oh, how we like to swagger! We think highly of ourselves, and relish taking credit for good things that happen. We boast about our favor, let it be known what we envisioned, achieved, built, influenced, earned.
The Lord has for us a whole new paradigm: life is all about Me. ‘Your specialness, your freedom, your bounty, your safety, your successes- they are all about My love, My amazing grace, My holiness, My justice, My generosity.’ We are to know this, and know it well.
Once we begin to see life through the divine, eternal lens of the Almighty, we marvel at how different aspects of His character involve themselves in our every day. Do we sense His love and creativity when we behold the beauty of a color-burst dawn graced with soaring birds and their cheery song? Do we sense His unique affection when our hearts squeeze at the sight, or birth, or death, of a one we love? How well do we know that all we have and are is from Him, and for Him? (Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 1:16-17)
The next time we’re tempted to take credit, would we point to Jesus? How has He guided, guarded, or given to our benefit? A changed mindset results in greater praise to Him.
All glory to You, my Lord.
As the rain and snow 