SYNOPSIS: Moses hit the nail on the head when he called the Israelites to never forget that God alone was responsible for their success once they hit easy street in Canaan. He warned that they would start to believe their own press about why they had been able to achieve such an impossible victory. But he reminded them that it was in no way, shape or form because of their brilliance, creativity or worthiness—in fact, it was in spite of severe deficits in all those areas. They were not great people most of the time, not even good, but God loved them like nobody’s business. No, the fact that they were God’s chosen people had nothing to do with them and everything to do with God’s sovereign election, his incomprehensible grace, and his never-ceasing mercy! That would be true of you and me, too! It is God who grants us success. And he alone deserves the credit!
The Journey // Focus: Deuteronomy 9:4-6
After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people…. [You are God’s] special possession, whom you brought out of Egypt by your great strength and powerful arm.
The heading in the New Living Translation of Deuteronomy 9 says, “Victory By God’s Grace.” Doesn’t that sound redundant? Isn’t every victory in the believer’s life because of God’s unmerited favor? Absolutely. There is nothing we can do, although we have a part; there is no success we achieve, although we have to work hard; there is no game we win, although we have to practice hard, that isn’t because God graciously stepped in to lead us to victory.
Years ago a politician took a ton of grief from the other side—that, too, is redundant these days; it’s just what political parties do early and often—for a comment promoting a certain political philosophy: “you didn’t build that!” The president from the same party repeated the line in a speech, using it to shame the other team. Of course, it didn’t shame them—it simply fired them up!
There is a truth to what they were saying, but for reasons they didn’t have in mind. Moses hit the nail on the head when he called the Israelites to never forget that God alone was responsible for their success once they hit easy street in Canaan. He warned that they would start to believe their own press about why they had been able to achieve such an impossible victory. But he reminded them that it was in no way, shape or form because of their brilliance, creativity or worthiness—in fact, it was in spite severe deficits in all those areas. They were not great people most of the time, not even good, but God loved them like nobody’s business. No, the fact that they were God’s chosen people had nothing to do with them and everything to do with God’s sovereign election, his incomprehensible grace, and his never-ceasing mercy!
That is true of my life! I don’t stand a chance apart from God’s sovereign choice, his rich grace and his undeserved mercy. Nothing I achieve of any value is because of me. I had a part—albeit a a bit part—doing what I was supposed to do, working hard, being faithful, stepping out in faith. But even if that sounds like somehow my goodness and effort motivated God, that is simply not true. Most of the time, my badness, lack of sustained effort and skewed motives negated whatever good might have been in play for me. God, early and often, has had to override my fallenness with grace.
That is true for you, too! And we would do well to remember that every single day we take fresh breath, head out the door, and do whatever God has set before us to do, big or small. In fact, God has actually gone before you and done all the heavy lifting. He is simply calling you to go where he already is, and to walk into the success that he has already secured. Moses told the Israelites as much in Deuteronomy 9:3:
Recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy your enemies.
It is God who grants us success. And he alone deserves the credit!
No, you didn’t build that. God did!
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.