Good Morning Again,

Have you done your taxes yet?  Yes, it is over a month and one-half before April 15.  I have always been one to begin doing my taxes before March 1 and get them ready to go before the deadline.  I like to DO IT NOW in my life and be ahead of the game.  I dislike procrastinating and waiting until the last minute.  With tax laws constantly changing and finding that the IRS and I disagreed over the past years, I decided to begin using a CPA to do my taxes.  He is a Christian man and last year saved me “tons of money” that I would have not found to help us reduce our tax payment to the IRS.  I appreciate a man with the expertise and the wisdom to help me save many, many hours of reading, work and still not get the job done correctly.  May you find someone to help you with your taxes that is reliable and then entrust yourself to that person to do a good job!  Have a good tax year!

THE CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE – DEUTERONOMY 8

Deuteronomy 8 was the chapter that I was going to preach on this coming Sunday, but it is not the one that God decided that I preach on.  Sometimes wires get crossed, and they did, and I decided to let the wires be crossed because my sermon for Sunday was nearly completed a week or two before this time.  This chapter is important to Americans because we are just like the Israelites.

God was going to bring them into the good land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  God had humbled Israel by testing them (v.2) and letting them know what was in their heart (God already knew).  God did this by letting them get hungry and then giving them manna.

But, God was a gracious God and gave them clothing that did not wear out, feet that did not swell after many mile walked in a day and provided water for the entire trip.  All Israel had to do was to walk in the ways of God and to fear Him.

God was going to bring Israel into a good land with everything that they would need to exist and enjoy.  God wanted Israel not to forget God and all the good that He had bestowed upon them.  What happens so often is when God gives us good things in this life, when He answers prayers for us and when God comes to our aid in times of need that we forget the blessings that we have received.  We become proud and self-reliant and tend to forget God.

Americans have been given so very much in possessions, good things and many wants (not needs) are ours all the time.  We become self-reliant and become proud of what we have and what we have done.  We do not boast about our God, but about our involvement and our successes in this life.  God takes second-place at best or just a minor part of our daily lives.

Verse 17 says it so well, “Otherwise, you may say in your heart (not even out loud), ‘My power the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’”  Not only do we forget about God but we make ourselves, our possessions or our successes our idols.  They replace the true God of the universe and the Savior who gave His life to set us free from our sins.

May you and I not be like that.  May we make a commitment to keep the Lord Jesus Christ in first place in our lives.  May we be thankful, grateful and humble for all that we have and all that we have been given by HIS hand.

In His love,

Pastor Les