They became proud, then they forgot Me.

They became proud, then they forgot Me.

Scripture:- “But I have been the LORD your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. Hosea 13:4-6

Observation:-  The salvation of Israel is a type of picture of the salvation of a Christian. Egypt represents the world. While Israel was in slavery to the Egyptians, all of us were slaves to sin, born into sin even from birth. Israel was delivered from the Egyptians through a series of mighty miracles. God saved them so that they would be a special people set apart unto Him. They were not to serve any other gods but only the living God. Once we received Jesus Christ into our hearts as Lord and Savior, we were set free from slavery to sin and set apart to be holy unto God.

The purpose of our salvation is to be set apart only for God alone. There are to be no other gods in our life. God is to be our number 1 priority in all things. Many profess to be Christians but worship the gods of money, entertainment, and selfish indulgence. Some continue to trust in their own works, perhaps their own wealth. We have no Savior except Jesus. There is nothing we can do, or anything we own that can grant us salvation. Only the Lord can, in His mercy, and He accepts all who repent and humble come to Him.

The wilderness, the land of burning heat was a severe place of testing for the Israelites. There was danger from the elements, danger from starvation and danger from enemies. Yet in spite of their difficulties, they could always count on the Lord who was with them, in a pillar of cloud by day and a fire by night. The Lord does not promise to take us away from challenging or difficult circumstances but He promises to be there with us whenever we face them.

When God solved their problems, the Israelites became proud and they forgot about the Lord. This is also typical of us. When things are going well, and there are no problems, there is a tendency to become proud and beginning to think we are better than we ought. We need always to be on guard against pride and remember the Lord always.

Application: Thank God for saving us from our sins. Resolve in our hearts to always put him first, to have no other gods in our lives. In times of testing, have faith that the Lord is with us and lean on His presence. Always be on watch against thinking we are better or deserve better than others, for therein lies pride.

Prayer: Father God, I thank You and praise You for You sent Your Son Lord Jesus Christ to die for me on the cross that I might be set free from slavery to sin. I know Lord that I am saved for a purpose, to be set apart for You, to put You first in everything. Help me O Lord, always put You first. Thank You, Lord, for the many times you delivered me from trouble. May Your name be praised forever. Let not selfish pride be found in I pray. In Jesus name, Amen.