Journal 25-8-2009

Journal 25-8-2009

Scripture

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (New Living Translation)

Blessings for Obedience

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. ² You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:

³ Your towns and your fields
will be blessed.
⁴ Your children and your crops
will be blessed.
The offspring of your herds and flocks
will be blessed.
⁵ Your fruit baskets and breadboards
will be blessed.
⁶ Wherever you go and whatever you do,
you will be blessed.

⁷ “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!

⁸ “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

⁹ “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. ¹⁰ Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.

¹¹ “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. ¹²The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. ¹³ If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. ¹⁴You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.

Observation

The word blessed appears 9 times. The word obey appears 4 times. The blessings cover all aspects of our lives. Money, fame, fortune, power, status, protection …. Everything is covered. Why then do we seek it from the world? God is prepared to give us more than the world could ever offer but yet we fail. We fail to obey a God who gives infinitely but follow a world which gives sparingly. We are only asked to obey and listen out of our love for him. If we could obey all God has commanded, it serves to protect us and help us live longer. His commands cover all aspects of living. Every time I read these verses, I am filled with a sense of guilt yet have hope in a God who supplies everything.

Application

I must always remember that God’s blessings outweigh everything the world has to offer.

I must carefully obey, listen and follow God’s word.

I must not turn away from God and worship idols.

Response

Lord, I thank you for all that you have provided in my life. Teach me to obey your commands. Help me stand strong in times of temptation. Help me always put you first in my life. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.