Do Not Forget God in the Good Times

“When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments, ordinances, and statutes, which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold are multiplied, and all you have increases, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

Deuteronomy 8:10–14

What prompted me to write this blog post was a life lesson I learned just a couple of weeks ago.

For several months, I had been praying about a particular situation that was deeply frustrating me. I diligently sought God in prayer, listened to His Word continually, and remained steadfast even when the circumstances did not immediately change. Eventually, I experienced a tremendous breakthrough.

But after receiving that breakthrough, I slacked off—big time.

My prayers became quick and simple, offered mainly so I could say that I had prayed that day. It was as though I were trying to meet some imaginary heavenly prayer quota rather than genuinely spending time in God’s presence. As the days passed, my diligence and fervor began to decrease dramatically.

I had placed my spiritual life on cruise control.

I was comfortable. I was living on “easy street.” Everything seemed to be going perfectly. Then, one day, the same situation returned with a vengeance. It completely blindsided me because it was unexpected—and even more intense than it had been before.

As I felt that familiar frustration beginning to creep back into my heart, God reminded me of His warning to the children of Israel. He told them not to become so comfortable in the Promised Land that they forgot the One who had brought them there. He warned them not to enjoy the blessing while placing the Blesser on the back burner.

I quickly repented, and the situation was resolved once again.

Through this experience, I learned a powerful lesson: Never forget God—especially when things are going well.

It can be easy to seek God fervently when we are desperate for an answer. We pray intensely when we need a door to open, a situation to change, or a burden to be lifted. However, once the prayer has been answered and life becomes comfortable again, we may slowly begin to drift.

We should not allow the blessings God gives us to become the very things that distract us from Him. We must never become so comfortable that God is pushed to the bottom of our priority list.

I also learned that when we fall short, God wants us to respond quickly. He does not reveal our drifting merely to condemn us; He brings it to our attention so that we can repent, return, and be restored.

The reason I was able to be “rescued” once again was that, as soon as the Holy Spirit brought revelation and conviction, I responded. I repented and resumed diligently seeking the face of God.

There is grace in returning quickly.

God understands that we will sometimes fall short, lose focus, or become distracted. What matters is what we do when He brings the truth to our attention. We should not allow pride, shame, or delay to keep us away. We can turn back to Him immediately.

Do not wait until another crisis forces you to seek God again. Continue praying when life is peaceful. Continue studying His Word when your prayers have been answered. Continue thanking Him when your needs have been met.

Do not merely remember God in the wilderness.

Remember Him in the Promised Land too.