by Bible League International

Verse of the Day and Devotion

When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me.  - Hosea 13:6 NKJV

Devotion

You were stuck in your personal version of Egypt, your personal version of sin and slavery. Like the ancient Israelites, you were oppressed and you were full of sorrow. It looked like you would never get out of there. Like the Israelites, however, you remembered the Lord and you cried out to Him. (Exodus 3:7) You asked Him for help and deliverance. He responded to your cry and rescued you from that horrid place. Indeed He rescued you, as far as you were concerned, in miraculous fashion. Although He didn't have to part the Red Sea, his rescue was no less astonishing.

Then the Lord led you out into your personal version of the Wilderness. Like the Israelites, you were tried and you were tested. The Lord was preparing you for the battles you would have to fight in order to take possession of the Promised Land. (Exodus 13:17) Like the Israelites, in the Wilderness you remembered the Lord and you cried out to Him. You asked Him for the help you needed to endure the trials and to pass the tests. Although there were, as there were for the Israelites, many ups and downs to the journey, the Lord came through for you and helped you to make it.

Now you're sitting pretty in your personal version of the Promised Land. You remembered the Lord and He helped you to conquer and take possession of it. It was hard, but you were successful. Figuratively speaking, you have what our verse for today says the Israelites had: "they had pasture, they were filled." You have, in other words, everything you need. The only question now is whether or not you're going to do what the Israelites did next.

What did they do next? They forgot the Lord: "They were filled and their heart was exalted." They forgot how dependent they were on the Lord and how He helped them. They began to think they didn't need His help. They even began to think that they gained the position they were enjoying on their own. As a result, the Lord allowed the Babylonians to conquer and deport them.

What's the point? The point is, don't do what they did! Don't let the good times cause you to forget the Lord. You don't want a personal version of Babylon in your future.