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, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day (Deuteronomy 8:17-18, ESV).
I often remember Jim. Most of the time, it’s not the result of any particular trigger. The many memories of him frequently rush into my mind. Jim unexpectedly passed away a little more than a year ago.
The phrase, “This guy could golf his ball,” fits Jim perfectly. Ten years before the Father brought him to heaven, Jim and I played a Fazio course in North Carolina. He shot 66 with a double bogey. He played it from “the tips.”
One of the more amusing stories about Jim goes like this: He had never had a hole-in-one. Along with some friends, he and his wife went to Scotland for a ten-day golf marathon. While there, his bride, Nancy, had a hole-in-one. Of course, he was elated.
He was also a tad jealous. A week or two after returning stateside, we played a delightful Palmer course in a fund-raising event. We were on a drivable par four. He jarred it!
Now, he had his first ace and was tied with his wife. Within a week or so, Nancy had her second hole-in-one. The local news got wind of it and reported it on the nightly news. To this day, we all still chuckle.
Why do I tell this story? My reason this time is to call attention to one of Jim’s habits. After spending time on the range, he wrote everything in his journal. He was relentless about it, too.
Once he discovered a swing thought, he never wanted to forget it. He was always “tinkering” with his swing; never content to rest on his laurels, he was forever working to get better, and he did.
In a world where we are daily bombarded with a zillion soundbites, our brains easily overload and forget some of the more important ideas; for Jim, a good swing thought was too important to lose. I agree!
Similarly, when Moses tells Israel about their future in the Land of Promise (a place of flourishing), he reminds them not to forget the God who gave it to them. Sadly, they did exactly that.
This sets up a tragic and repeating pattern found throughout Scripture regarding the people of God, and sadly, it reflects much of the history of the Church. Inexcusably, we are a forgetful people.
Over and over again, when the people of God are between a rock and a hard place, we call out to God in prayer, worship, and gratitude. When the Lord brings us into a state of prosperity, we tend to forget God, his kindness, and his generosity.
In these situations, the Lord has to discipline his people for worshipping the gifts instead of the Giver of the gifts.
Contrary to mistaken notions, the Father loves to shower his people with blessings; after all, the overwhelming witness of Scripture indicates his desire to see his kids flourish. To state the problem in straightforward terms—we repeatedly mistake the gift for the Giver of the gifts as our source of fulfillment.
While America is not to be confused with the Kingdom (i.e., the people of God), in the West, as is true in all nations, we invariably make the same egregious mistake—we exchange God for his gifts, and the cycle begins again: The Lord blesses—the people of God forget—God disciplines—we return.
By his grace, let’s remember to seek first the kingdom of God.
By the way, Jim spent the last few days of his life at a class reunion, telling anybody who would listen about the love of his Savior. Jim never forgot that.
Prayer: Father! Please forgive us for forgetting your extraordinary kindness and mercy toward us.