Why Give? Not Forgetting to be Grateful to God

 2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lordyour God disciplines you.

6Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. 7For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8)

Thoughts: Giving keeps us from forgetting God.  If we think we have produced our own wealth all by ourselves, we deceive ourselves.  God gives us life, breath, strength to produce wealth, the mind and talent to produce wealth.  Giving is a concrete show of faith unlike anything else we do.
      Robert Putnam of Harvard did a study on generosity and he found that the key indicator of being generous... the most common factor that showed whether someone is generous or not... is... blessing our food.  When we bless our food we show we are taking time to remember God is the giver of our food and our wealth.
       God gives us health, preserves and protects us.  When we give back to Him we remember this and are grateful.  If we are not grateful, and do not believe God gives us life and helps us in life- then we will not give.  But if we are grateful, giving is a great response.  

Prayer: Lord, let me not forget you.  Give me grace to give out of gratitude to you.  I am blessed and thankful.