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Has Your Blessing Become Your Stumbling Block?

Has Your Blessing Become Your Stumbling Block?

Deuteronomy 8:6-20
 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the Lord, your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig-trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.
It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lordy our God for the good land he has given you. 11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lordy our God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.
12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.
15 Do not 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! 16 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 fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. 19 “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.
20 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.

Have you ever received a blessing from God that later became a stumbling block? Well, I would like to share with you today from my personal experience on this subject.
When we first moved into our new home, my main focus day and night was on getting things unboxed and in place. Needless to say, it was a bit overwhelming!
Because I was over the moon excited, I could not stop thinking about how I wanted to decorate and beautify our new space. I was constantly window shopping online, (notice I said window shopping) looking for the perfect dining room chairs, or the perfect comforter or the perfect whatever to go with the decor that I had envisioned for our home. I watched the home decorating channel every time I had a free moment. I looked through magazines for ideas etc. and oh the countless furniture stores that I drug my husband through. I realize that some of this are normal to a certain degree, and the fact that I was an Interior Designer for 20 years certainly did not help the situation.
I believe that my quest to get it just right was becoming a wee bit of an obsession. I finally had to make myself, take a moment and just breathe, and just slow the pace down. You see God had revealed something that He wanted me to do on a weekly basis for my Women’s Ministry prior to moving into our home. Although I was still spending time with God each morning, I was not walking in obedience to the extra that God was calling me to do. I was too busy with my house project and trying to balance it with my career to focus consistently on what God had asked me to do.
With all that I was trying to accomplish with my house, I started to find myself drifting further and further away from what God had led me to do. What I had failed to realize in the process, was that God was still God and that He still requires obedience no matter what’s going on in my life. I was allowing my blessing to overwhelm my life. My blessing was becoming my stumbling block. When God brought this to my attention, it was like a light bulb moment. I had put my desires above what God desired. Looking back, I realize that my gift had become my priority instead of the giver of my gift.
How many times do we come so close to worshipping the blessing instead of the blesser? Make no mistake about it ladies, this is the breeding ground for idolatry.
Well, after receiving that big thump on my head, I think it is safe to say that God got my attention and that I am back on track. I am sure that this won’t be the last time that He will give me a thump on the head and a light bulb moment in order that I might see just how I really look before Him.
I must say that I still have boxes in my garage and the decorating project will take longer than I originally anticipated. I am OK with that because my priorities are back in order and when my priorities are in order my life is no longer chaotic but peaceful.
Today, I encourage you to do a self-check. What have you been blessed with that has become your stumbling block? Remember, no matter what God has blessed you with, He must be honored above all else.