God loves to bless us. He loves to shower us in ways we can’t even imagine. He has storehouses filled with bounty that He loves to open up in heaven and send down to us. Here’s the challenge: We need to obey His commands. God will shower us with blessings if we walk in obedience. The power of living well comes from obedience to God. Blessings for obedience is God’s way. Do you want God’s blessings?
As I read these words in my Bible, and they drew me in:
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:”
~ Deuteronomy 28:1-2, NIV
Two words immediately grabbed my attention: Obey and blessings.
Then two other words grabbed my attention: If and today.
God will bless us if we obey His commands. Let me say that in another way. If we obey God, then He will bless us.
The list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 is pretty amazing. Here’s a snapshot of some of God’s blessings if we obey Him:
- Our children will be blessed
- Our land will be blessed
- The crops of our land will be blessed
- Our comings and goings will be blessed
- We will be blessed in the city and in the country
- All the work of our hands will be blessed
The list doesn’t end here, friend. There are more blessings and I encourage you to personally read them. It’s amazing how much God wants to bless us.
Yes please!
If/Then
This if/then statement seems pretty doable, right? God says that if we obey Him, then He will bless us.
Here’s what I’m noticing in the world today.
We want God’s blessings without the obedience. We want God to do His part, the blessing, but we don’t want to do our part, the obedience. We want a both/and statement rather than God’s if/then statement.
We can’t have both blessings and disobedience as children of God. That’s not how it works. God didn’t say, if you disobey me, then I’ll bless you.
Did you know the word bless is used nearly 400 times in the Bible? I think it’s because God wants to bless us. He loves blessing His kids. I get that because I’m a parent too, and I love blessing my kids.
But I’ll tell you when they were little children, if they disobeyed my boundaries, they did not get what they wanted. I instilled an if/then statement too. If they obeyed, then they were blessed.
If they didn’t obey my boundaries, it didn’t mean I stopped loving them. It just meant, I had to make sure I did my part and enforce consequences.
God is the same way, friend. He loves you even if you disobey Him, but He also has consequences for us if we continue disobeying. You can read about His consequences in the Bible too.
Commands of God Today
The other word that grabbed my attention in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 was today. We are to follow all His commands that He gives us today.
What commands has He given you today that you know He wants you to obey, but you aren’t?
As I pondered this question, there were a couple of things I needed to address with Him.
I repented of sins I knew I was struggling with. I set myself at Jesus’ feet and surrendered to His will.
Where you are at today? Which of God’s commands you are personally struggling with today? Be honest. When God reveals His commands to us, and we choose not to obey, it is sin.
In James 4:17 it says, “If anyone knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is a sin for them.”
Where in your life are you disobeying God?
Be strong, friend. Resist the temptation to disobey. Instead, surrender to Jesus and bow to His will. God wants to bless you, but you need to do your part too. Fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands He gives you today.
Challenge for Today
Are we living the way God has shown us to live? What commands has He given to you specifically that He wants you to obey? Jesus wants to bless you, but He also wants you to obey His commands.
Today, may we each be willing to obey God’s commands. May we each live according to His Word, His way, obeying His commands even if it means we have to give up something or take on something new.
If there is something you know God wants of you, please listen carefully and fully obey. His storehouses are just waiting to shower down blessings on you.
Today, let’s live the if/then statement. If we obey God, then He will bless us.
Oh Michelle- it sounds so simple, but I struggle so. I want to completely obey God – hand my life over to His control, and not mine … but I’m so scared if what He might ask me to do. I keep telling myself that His way will ALWAYS be better than my way … I have to get past this mind block. Please pray for me. 💕
Oh Cris, what you have shared is so honest. I feel you on this. It’s not always easy to obey. Sometimes the things we struggle with really have a hold on us.
I’ve had obedience issues in my life too. Some were easier to overcome than others, but one by one, God and I are tackling them. When He brings something to my attention, that’s when I know I need to do my part.
Just know, whatever you are struggling with, God understands. He will help you, and I will pray.
with much love,
Michelle
Michelle, thank you for this reminder. I’m staring at a kitchen with dirty dishes clogging up all the usable counter space, a dishwasher that needs to be emptied and reloaded, and knowing in my spirit that obedience right now looks like doing the seemingly un-fun job of kitchen clean up. Faithfulness is my word for the year as I know it’s an area I need to grow in, but it’s not particularly glamorous… *sigh* I will be tackling the kitchen after I submit this comment (and also trying to figure out a way to make it more fun! Lol). Here’s to trusting and obeying!
Oh yes indeed, Pearl! Those mundane chores are usually not fun. I often listen to a book, music, podcast as I clean, cook, and take care of laundry. The one chore I dislike the most is paying bills and managing our budget. Unfortunately, I can’t listen to anything when I do that chore because my brain doesn’t work that way. I can’t concentrate if I have something playing in the background when I have to really focus.
I love your word of the year: faithfulness! Yes!
Here’s to trusting and obeying!
Michelle