Times of Plenty
“I have set the Lord always before me.” Psalm 16:8
Just as we’re tempted to think God has forgotten about us when hard times come, so we tend to forget God when times are easy. Think about the marriages you have seen slide into trouble just when the couples seemed to have everything going their way.
Jesus told a story about a rich farmer who had no need for God. The farmer had his life nicely laid out. One year he produced such a bumper crop that he couldn’t store it all. In a world of suffering and starvation, that was his biggest problem! Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.’ ” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:18-20).
Are you in a time of relative plenty in your life together? If so, be careful about slipping into arrogance and self‐contentedness. The next thing you know you’ll be behaving like the fool in Jesus’ story—as if you don’t need God. An old‐time preacher once wrote, “Blessedness is the greatest of perils because it tends to dull our keen sense of dependence on God and make us prone to presumption.”
Take a moment tonight to thank and praise God for all the good
you enjoy. And remember to fully depend on Him each day, even when everything is going wonderfully.
Just between us . . .
• Do we trust God in good times, or do we begin to feel self‐sufficient?
• Do we give God the credit and praise when life is good?
• How can we encourage each other to rely on the Lord at all times?
Lord, You have poured out Your goodness on our lives, and we are truly grateful. Forgive us when we let satisfaction dull our devotion to You. Amen.
Listen to today's broadcast of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk at OnePlace.com. For more from Dr. Dobson, visit the resource center at drjamesdobson.org.
This devotional is taken from Night Light for Couples. Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
