BY: Sir Godfrey Gregg

Day Twenty: Gratitude and Humility

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:10–18

“And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Take care lest you forget the LORD your God… Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.”

Reflection:

Moses warns Israel about the danger of prosperity. When they enter the promised land and enjoy its abundance, they will be tempted to forget God. They will be tempted to say, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.” They will take credit for what God has given.

This is the danger of abundance—not the abundance itself, but the pride it produces. When things go well, we forget that they come from God. We attribute our success to our own efforts, our own wisdom, our own strength. We become self-sufficient in our thinking, even if we would never say so aloud.

Gratitude guards against this pride. When we give thanks, we acknowledge that our blessings come from God. We recognize that we did not earn them, deserve them, or create them. They are gifts—gracious, unmerited, from the hand of a generous God.

Notice Moses’s instruction: “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” Even our ability to work, to earn, to succeed—these are gifts from God. He gives us the strength, the intelligence, the opportunities. Without Him, we could do nothing.

This is the humility that gratitude produces. We do not take credit for what God has done. We do not boast in our achievements. We recognize that everything we have is a gift, and we give thanks to the Giver.

What blessings might you be tempted to take credit for? What abilities, opportunities, or achievements do you need to acknowledge as gifts from God? Let gratitude produce humility in your heart.

Journal: What blessings might you be tempted to take credit for rather than receiving as gifts? How does gratitude guard against pride?

Practice: Thank God specifically for the abilities and opportunities you have, acknowledging them as gifts. Give Him the credit for your successes.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times I have taken credit for what You have given. Forgive me for the pride that attributes Your gifts to my own efforts. Teach me humility. Help me to recognize that everything I have comes from Your hand. Let gratitude guard my heart against pride. In Jesus’ name, Amen.