Athletes are a very superstitious bunch. I read of a pitcher that always wore the same pair of underwear every time it was his turn to start a game. On a particular outing, he got blasted early and lost the game. He later said that he hadn't worn his lucky underwear that day. I don't know if he really believed that or not, but I did wonder if he went on the mound thinking that he had already messed up and that it got into his head a little bit. His ability came from his arm, but not underwear, but he was having a little trouble giving the proper credit to the proper things in his life.
The people of Judah were giving credit to the wrong person. They had been sacrificing to false gods, and everything seemed to be going just fine. Then when Babylon came, the people's lives were thrown into turmoil and their daily routines were interrupted. Many of the people credited that interruption of devotion to a false god as the reason for their upheaval. They didn't realize that the reason they had been able to remain in their nation during days of disobedience to God was as result of His patience and continued efforts to make all the Jews aware of the judgement to come. There were so many prophets all giving the same declaration of impending doom, but the people ignored it. Who's getting the credit in your life? Are you telling others of the great work God is doing in your life, or do fully accept the praise that people give you? Don't give yourself too much credit for the good things you have, because pride is always the downfall of the Christian. We begin to think that we deserve certain things, and we rely more on ourselves and less on our God. Who is your trust really in? If you're unsure, think about how many times this week you've listened to God's instruction and how many times you've simply went with your own plans. The ability to do anything comes from God, and He may take away those abilities if they are causing us more harm than good.
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