Break the Cycle

We rejoice. We exhale. We count our blessings. And, then we move on. But the enemy does not stop.

In the Bible, there are numerous accounts of God’s people forgetting who He is and how He blessed them. They forgot that the evil one never stops working. They forgot they needed to continue in God’s way. In Deuteronomy 9, Moses recounts several occasions in which the Israelites ignored God’s goodness and faithfulness to them. The books of Joshua and Isaiah give accounts of God’s people being warned to obey and suffering the consequences of not. In the words of Moses, the Israelites “rebelled” against the commands of God. They had…ahem, we have…an ugly cycle of forgetfulness with God.

I see the cycle as

1. God sends His blessings, providing us with what we need. He removes the obstacles and enemies that held us back. He wipes the slate clean, giving us a fresh start.
2. We give praises and thanks to God for taking us to this “promised land.” We are sincerely grateful for what He has done. We honor Him with shouts of joy and promises to remain faithful. We offer our sacrifice of prayer.
3. Over time, we become comfortable in our situation. We start backsliding. We forget how God’s goodness brought us to this good place. We forget our struggles, thinking it was our efforts, not God’s will, that helped us. And, because we forget, our actions no longer honor God. We allow the enemy to slither in and seduce us.
4. God warns us that He is not pleased, giving us time to mend our ways. He tells us that we must follow Him, not the enemy. When we fail to heed these warnings, He rebukes us. He lets us know that what we are doing is not pleasing in His sight.
5. In this valley of contrition, we “get it.” We are remorseful. We cry out to God, lamenting our woes. We are repentant. We seek forgiveness. We see the error of our ways, and appeal to God for mercy.
6. Because God loves us and wants the best for us, He offers redemption. He saves us from ourselves. With that redemption, comes fresh blessings.

We recently had a victory in this country. In the valley of oppression, injustice, and bigotry, the people of this nation cried out to God. God’s people came together and collectively sent up prayers asking for a good shepherd to lead us. We asked for the yoke to be lifted. He answered those prayers. We now send up prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

In this moment of glory, let us break the cycle. Let us not fall into complacency. Let us not feel the work is done, and we no longer have a need to pray and obey. Let us continually remember what God has done for us. Let us stay focused on prayer and praise. As the news tells us, the enemy is still at work. We still need God in our situation. Let us remember how we came together and prayed collectively. Let God’s people break the cycle by honoring what God will do if His people obey and revere Him.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the victories and blessings you have wrought. We stay in prayer with you, asking for a good shepherd to lead us. We know the enemy is at work, but we know you are stronger than any evil. Please remove any and all obstacles the enemy places before your chosen shepherd. On bended knee, we pray in the name of the Triune God. Amen.

(See also Tell Our Story.)