ITS TIME TO GIVE GOD SOME DOUBLE PRAISE (Deuteronomy 6:10-12, 8:6-20)

The book of Deuteronomy is like the last will and testament of Moses to the Israelite community. Mind you that Moses was addressing these people prior to entering the promised land. His main focus was to prepare them on how to handle success. Could it be that Christians have been taught how to handle failure but very little has been taught about how to handle success? Moses was warning the Israelites to be careful not to forget God in the midst of the joys of big life in the land. People who had been accustomed to a life of wandering in the wilderness were about to inherit cities they did not build, wells they did not dig, vineyards and olive groves they did not plant. The list is endless. Just like the Israelites, a lot of Christians used to give God some praise for divine provisions when they were living in a season of scarcity. But when God began to bless them abundantly, instead of increasing their praise, success increased their pride. It is sad to say that a lot of Christians can easily be puffed up with pride because of their success. Even Paul warns the Corinthians on the same problem of swollen heads when he challenges them to think of what they were before they came to Christ (1Cor. 1:26-31). Indeed not many of them were wise according to human standards, not many of them were influential, not many of them were of noble birth, but it was God’s grace which elevated them to where they were now in the faith. Moses nails it well when he says, ‘When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you’ (Deut.8:10). In other words Moses is challenging us to give God some double praise. When God blesses you left, right and centre, its time to give him some double praise. When God gives you supernatural breakthrough, its time to give him some double praise. When your dreams come true, its time to give God some double praise. When God opens doors of opportunity, its time to give him some double praise. When God supplies all your needs according to his riches in glory, its time to give him some praise. LET SUCCESS INCREASE YOUR PRAISE RATHER THAN YOUR PRIDE. Be part of the generation of them that give God some double praise.