By Riley Nelson Richmond Hill Church of Christ
Most of us are greatly blessed with material possessions. Overall compared too many in the world our entire nation ranks as one of the richest even in the financial problems we face today. Many have put all their hope and trust in material things, and they have left God out of the picture.
It is tempting to think that we provide everything for ourselves. Some look at the work they do and forget that without God, we would not be able to do our jobs, or even exist. In the book of Acts we read where Paul made the following statement, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring” (Acts 17:22).
It is not a new thing for man to leave God out of the picture when it comes to success. Jesus told a parable about a man who was greatly blessed, but forgot that God had provided the things necessary for his success. “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:15-21). This man forgot that God provided the rain and sunshine. He failed to realize that God gave him the mind and body to do his work so that he could prosper. Sadly too many are like this man today. They leave God out of the picture, when they should be thanking Him and praising Him for all He gives to mankind.
Not only does God provide physical blessings for man, He has provided the greatest blessing of all in giving His Son to die for the sins of all. Without this sacrifice man would have no hope of eternal life in heaven. He has provided us with his word (2 Tim. 3:16, 17), so that we can know what He desires us to do in service and worship to Him.
We should seek to follow Him and obey His word, giving Him all praise and glory. His word shows us to have faith in Him, to repent or turn from sin, to be willing to confess the name of Jesus before men, to be baptized for the remission of our sins and to live a life of devotion to God. Knowing how much God has blessed us we need to always keep God in the picture.