Day 164: How to handle success – Deuteronomy 8 vs 10 - 20

10-11 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 

12-14 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!  Don't become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.  15-16 Don't forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.  17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’  18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfil the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

19-20 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8:10-20 New Living Translation (English Standard Version link)

The first 10 verses of this chapter reminded Israel that, as they enjoyed the wonderful gifts of the abundant land they were entering, they were not to forget the one who was giving them these things. They mustn't end up loving the gifts more than the giver. How were they to express their ongoing love for God who had so blessed them? (vs 10-11)

By their obedience. They were to remember the things God taught them through Moses, and to keep on doing them. For not only was God giving them a lovely place for their own, but Moses reminds them how God had so carefully looked after them through their rebellious years. (vs 15-16)

But Moses also points out another big danger they needed to guard against when, as the years went by, they became well settled and prosperous in the land God was giving them. What was that danger? (vs 12-14 & vs 17)

The danger of great success is that it can lead to great self-centredness. The attitude of “Look at me and what I have accomplished”. That certainly happened to a great king of Babylon. We read in Daniel Chapter 4 that: “Nebuchadnezzar was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon and, as he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendour.’” That chapter went on to show how God put Nebuchadnezzar through a very humiliating experience to humble his arrogant pride.

The important truth of Moses' words in vs 18 is something we should all keep in mind – especially if there is anything in our life of which we are 'a little bit proud of'! Whether it's our careers, our talents and skills, our marriage, how we raised our children . . . we need to work hard at all of these and do the best we can to be successful. But we must always remember that it is God who gives us the power. And He does so because of the promise He made to Abraham to bless his spiritual descendants. So what would happen to Israel if they became so full of themselves that they forgot God? (vs 19-20)

They would end up like the very nations who God was driving out of the land. The nations in Canaan had long rejected God and followed wicked ways. The same would happen to Israel if they ever forgot who it was that had given them such blessing and success.