You may have heard the following joke before, but the message is worth hearing again.

A man is late for an important meeting and arrives at his destination to find the parking lot completely full. He drives around the parking lot looking for a place to park and cannot find one. He finally decides to ask God for help and prays, “Dear lord please help me find a parking spot, and I will go to church every Sunday.” Just as he says “Amen,” a car pulls out opening a parking space right in front of him. Then he says. “Never mind God, I found one myself.”

How often does something similar happen to us. It may not be us specifically asking for help, but we may be experiencing success in our life, or things are just going well. Do we stop and thank God for these things, or do we credit ourselves for our intelligence, discipline, business savvy, or skill with people?

We need to remember that God has provided all we have, and remember to give him the glory. This is also relevant to our country. It was very common in times past for our Government leaders to thank God for the prosperity and success of America, our country which has grown from essentially a 3rd world place 150 years ago, to the undisputed leading power and force in the world. We all need to make sure we remember to give God glory for what he has done with America, “one nation under God”

In the old testament, Moses told the Israelites before they entered the “Promised Land.” In Deuteronomy 8:14, “Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” then in verses 17-18 “He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.”

Dear Lord, We thank you for the good things you have done in our lives, and we also thank you that you have given us challenges that make us stronger. Mostly we thank you that you have saved us, through Jesus Christ, and we have nothing to fear. You are always there for us. Help us remember to give You the glory for the success and joy in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.