Thoughts for another day

November 28, 2006

Today's verse: Hosea 13:6. According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. (KJV)

Some years back, a brother was jobless and in distress. He went for retreats and entreated God to give him a job. The prayer he made was, ‘God please give me a job. I promise you, I will be your servant and will serve you all my life. I will never move away from you and will devote my life to you.’ He requested every person to pray for his need and said he wanted to do something for God and a job therefore was important.

God gave him a fantastic job in Dubai with a salary he least expected. It was for him a dream come true. For a while, after this the brother thanked God profusely but slowly the thanks began to wane. As month after month passed by, visits to the church and talk about God decreased dramatically and partying began. His friends said, ‘What’s the point of having such a nice job and not indulging in parties. A little mixing around is necessary. Even God would want that, after all He’s not given you such a nice job for nothing! So man, party and have fun.’ And that’s exactly what He did. Eventually he forgot God.

My beloved in Christ, isn’t this story very very familiar? Maybe, it is yours (perhaps mine too, I need to reflect) or of one of your close ones’. And I see this repeated too often. On occasions, as God is blessing someone with something he or she desires, I tell that person, my brother will you forget Him? And the no comes with such force, even I am amazed. I tell myself ‘Ah, this is the real thing,’ till the reality takes its course and I am left with disgust. And if I am disgusted, how much will God be?

Look at the above verse and see, that’s exactly what He is saying. Whenever He blesses, we change and go away from Him. So what should He do, not bless? Of course, I am no one to suggest Him what He needs to do; but to you I could plead…Forget not His mercies nor hide what He has done for you. Lest, the fount of His blessings, dry up.