If you don't remember anything else from these posts this week, I hope you will remember this take-away: Every blessing becomes the source of one of two things: a source of praise or a source of pride.
There are no alternatives. Either praise or price. Like the Israelites with their golden earrings, if we aren’t careful, the blessings of God can become a source of personal pride. And if that happens, it would better that we never received them!
The Israelites had been in slavery for over 400 years. The very definition of slavery means they had nothing. They didn't even have their own freedom. Then, in one day, as God is setting them free from the bondage, He causes the Egyptians to show favor to the Israelites. They give them gold earrings, flocks and herds...more than you can count! For this current generation of Israelites, they had never owned gold, flocks, or herds. Everything they saw belonged to the Egyptians.
They must have overwhelmed but the blessing! But what happened? Instead of these blessings being a source of praise, they turned them into a source of pride...and idolatry.
We have the same choice every time we experience a blessing. We can either take credit or give credit. Worship is giving credit where credit is due.
We sing a song that, to be honest, sometimes confused me...until now. The words say, “Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise.” I always thought, "Of course, I will turn it back to praise. What else could it become?" Now, I realize that if I fail to turn the blessings of God into praise they will become a source of pride.
So, "Blessed be the name of the Lord! Blessed be His glorious name!"
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