START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
(KJV) Deuteronomy 32:15
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
The Peril of Prosperity: Remembering God in Times of Plenty
It is easy to seek God when the storm is raging. When the bank account is empty, the medical report is scary, or relationships are crumbling, our knees naturally hit the floor. We cry out because we know we cannot survive without His intervention.
But what happens when the storm passes, the sun comes out, and blessings overflow?
Deuteronomy 32:15 paints a sobering picture of what often happens to human hearts during times of ease: “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.”
The Tragic Pattern of “Growing Fat”
“Jeshurun” is a poetic, affectionate name for Israel, meaning “upright one.” Yet, this verse reveals a heartbreaking transformation. In the wilderness, Israel depended on God for daily manna and water from the rock. But once they entered the Promised Land—a land flowing with milk, honey, large cities they didn’t build, and vineyards they didn’t plant—their hearts shifted.
They grew prosperous. They grew comfortable. And then, they grew indifferent.
Moses had previously warned the people about this exact danger in Deuteronomy 8:7-20. He told them that when they ate and were full, when their herds multiplied and their silver and gold increased, they would be tempted to say in their hearts, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
History repeatedly shows that prosperity is one of the greatest tests of faith. Ease acts as a spiritual anesthetic. It numbs our awareness of our deep, constant need for the Creator. When we have everything we want, we easily forget that we already have everything we need in God alone.
Walking Wisely Through Seasons of Ease
Troubles drive us to God, but plenty can subtly drive us away. If you are currently walking through a season of abundance, health, and peace, here are three ways to guard your heart against spiritual amnesia:
- Practice Active Gratitude: Constantly acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes from above, not from your own hands.
- Maintain Holy Discipline: Keep praying, studying Scripture, and fasting even when life feels perfect. Do not let your spiritual hunger die just because your physical body is full.
- Live Open-Handed: Use your prosperity to bless others. Wealth and comfort lose their grip on your heart when you actively give them away to advance God’s kingdom.
Let us never allow the gifts of God to replace the Giver of those gifts. Let us remain desperate for Him, even when our tables are full.
A Closing Prayer for a Steadfast Heart
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with hearts full of gratitude for Your immense goodness, Your provision, and the seasons of peace You allow us to walk through. Forgive us for the times we have allowed Your blessings to crowd out our devotion to You. Forgive us for growing comfortable, self-sufficient, and complacent in our prosperity.
Lord, do not let our hearts grow fat and kick. Keep us fiercely aware of our daily, desperate need for Your grace, Your wisdom, and Your presence. When our tables are full and our lives are at ease, anchor our souls to You, our Rock and Savior. Guard us against idolatry and the lie that we are the authors of our own success.
May we love You for who You are, and not just for what You provide. Keep our spirits hungry for You, even when our physical lives are full. We dedicate our abundance, our talents, and our days to Your glory alone.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen
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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- THIS SONG / DEUTERONOMY 31:30
- WILL FORSAKE ME /DEUTERONOMY 31:16
- MOSES WROTE DOWN THIS LAW / DEUTERONOMY 31:9
- NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU / DEUTERONOMY 31:8
- GATHER YOU AGAIN FROM ALL THE NATIONS / DEUTERONOMY 30:3
- SAFE EVEN THOUGH I PERSIST IN GOING MY OWN WAY / DEUTERONOMY 29:19
- HEART TURNS AWAY FROM THE LORD / DEUTERONOMY 29:18-21
- SCATTER YOU AMONG ALL NATIONS / DEUTERONOMY 28:64
- A NATION AGAINST YOU / DEUTERONOMY 28:49-57
- WILL COME UPON YOU / DEUTERONOMY 28:15
- SETS IT UP IN SECRET / DEUTERONOMY 27:15
- THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT / DEUTERONOMY 26:8
- NOT MUZZLE AN OX / DEUTERONOMY 25:4
- ALIEN … FATHERLESS … WIDOW / DEUTERONOMY 24:17
- POOR AND NEEDY / DEUTERONOMY 24:14
- CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE / DEUTERONOMY 24:1-5
- NO ONE … MAY ENTER THE ASSEMBLY / DEUTERONOMY 23:1-3
- DAUGHTER’S VIRGINITY / DEUTERONOMY 22:17
- TWO WIVES / DEUTERONOMY 21:15
- YOUR ENEMIES / DEUTERONOMY 21:10
- SHOW NO PITY / DEUTERONOMY 19:21
- A PROPHET LIKE ME / DEUTERONOMY 18:15
- CASTS SPELLS … IS A MEDIUM / DEUTERONOMY 18:11
- WHO SACRIFICES – IN THE FIRE – DIVINATION – OMENS / DEUTERONOMY 18:10
- DETESTABLE WAYS OF THE NATIONS / DEUTERONOMY 18:9-11
- PURGE THE EVIL / DEUTERONOMY 17:7
- NOT SEND HIM AWAY EMPTY-HANDED / DEUTERONOMY 15:13
- A POOR MAN / DEUTERONOMY 15:7-11
- WINE OR OTHER FERMENTED DRINK … YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD / DEUTERONOMY 14:26
- NOT LISTEN TO … THAT PROPHET / DEUTERONOMY 13:3
- THE PLACE … GOD WILL CHOOSE / DEUTERONOMY 12:5
- DESTROY COMPLETELY ALL THE PLACES / DEUTERONOMY 12:2
- BLESSING AND A CURSE / DEUTERONOMY 11:26
- LOVE HIM … WITH ALL YOUR HEART / DEUTERONOMY 10:12-13
- NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR RIGHTOUSNESS / DEUTERONOMY 9:5
- WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS / DEUTERONOMY 9:4
- ABILITY TO PRODUCE WEALTH / DEUTERONOMY 8:18
- EAT AND ARE SATISFIED … FORGET THE LORD / DEUTERONOMY 8:12-14
- LAND WITH STREAMS AND POOLS / DEUTERONOMY 8:7
- MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE / DEUTERONOMY 8:3
- DETESTABLE THING INTO YOUR HOUSE / DEUTERONOMY 7:26
- COVENANT OF LOVE TO … THOSE WHO LOVE HIM / DEUTERONOMY 7:9
- DO NOT INTERMARRY WITH THEM / DEUTERONOMY 7:3-4
- IMPRESS THEM ON YOUR CHILDREN / DEUTERONOMY 6:7
- THESE COMMANDMENTS … UPON YOUR HEARTS / DEUTERONOMY 6:6
- LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD / DEUTERONOMY 6:5
- THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE / DEUTERONOMY 6:4
- HEAR O ISRAEL / DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9
- OH THAT THEIR HEARTS WOULD BE INCLINED TO FEAR ME / DEUTERONOMY 5:29
- A COVENANT / DEUTERONOMY 5:2
- ALL YOUR HEART … SOUL / DEUTERONOMY 4:29
- HEAVEN AND EARTH AS WITNESSES: THE SIX PROPHECIES OF ISRAEL’S HISTORY / DEUTERONOMY 4:26
- CONSUMING FIRE – JEALOUS GOD / DEUTERONOMY 4:24
- GUARD YOUR HEART: THE POWER OF THE SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE / DEUTERONOMY 4:9
- LIVING AS A LIGHTHOUSE: HOW OUR FAITHFULNESS DRAWS THE WORLD TO GOD / DEUTERONOMY 4:6
- WHY WE CANNOT ADD OR SUBTRACT FROM GOD’S WORD / DEUTERONOMY 4:2
- FOLLOW THEM SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE / DEUTERONOMY 4:1
- LET ME GO OVER / DEUTERONOMY 3:25
- THE LORD … WILL FIGHT FOR YOU / DEUTERONOMY 3:22
- THE LORD … MADE HIS SPIRIT STUBORN / DEUTERONOMY 2:30
- GOD HAS BEEN WITH YOU / DEUTERONOMY 2:7
- FOLLOWED THE LORD WHOLEHEARTEDLY / DEUTERONOMY 1:36
- NOT A MAN … SHALL SEE THE GOOD LAND / DEUTERONOMY 1:35
- REBELLED AGAINST THE COMMAND / DEUTERONOMY 1:26
- THE WORDS MOSES SPOKE / DEUTERONOMY 1:1
- GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
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