“So you, by the help of your God, return,
hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”
– Hosea 12:6 (ESV)

“Why are we playing so lousy?” That’s the question I muttered to myself as I stood on the sidelines watching my team’s performance. Dropped passes, silly penalties, and a lack of focus allowed an inferior opponent to stay in the game. As I squirmed and shook my head, I was getting increasingly frustrated with every play. Very quickly I realized I had allowed myself to become spoiled by the team’s past success. We had been winning, and in most cases, we had been winning convincingly. As a coach, I had fallen into the trap of expecting my team to always play well. They had done it in the past, so surely, great things would just naturally happen in the future. I remembered some wisdom I heard long ago—past success does not guarantee future success. How easy it is for us just to expect good things to happen! How easy it is to take our good fortune and blessings for granted.

Reflecting on that experience, I admit that I often do the same thing with God. I often fall into a false sense of security when all is going well. Truthfully, I sometimes even forget about God and think this is how things are supposed to be. Then, when my life turns into a disaster, I want to know what in the world is going on! “God, are You still there?” Taking God for granted is dangerous. When we forget to grow our relationship with God, He will find a way to get our attention. Relationships take hard work to grow. Could it be that you are taking God for granted right now? Spend time with Him by reading His Word, talking with Him, and listening for His response. God is just as close as He has always been.

Heavenly Father, help me to grow in my relationship with You today. May I never take You for granted or take credit for the blessings You give me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.