In Deuteronomy, Moses repeated to God’s people some of what God had shown and done for them. He also made it clear to them that as God was with them in the past, He could be with them in their future.
“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
Christians today, as well as the people of Moses’ day, can receive a blessing from God. If one hears the commandments of God, be it from the reading of His Word or hearing it, and OBEYS WHAT HE HEARS, he can have God’s blessing on his life.
The choice is UP TO US what we do with God’s message. Do we get convicted about something as we read the Bible, or get that gnawing guilty feeling when we are reminded of our sin? Do we obey the Holy Spirit’s personal reminder to our conscience as a warning from Him and do our best to change our behavior to what is pleasing to our heavenly Father, or DO WE IGNORE IT? Obeying conviction and doing our best to live a life approved by God is THE WAY TO GET HIS BLESSING ON OUR LIFE. There may still be trials and difficulties in our lives, but when we choose to live for Him we can have GOD’S BLESSING, PROTECTION, AND GUIDANCE ON OUR LIVES.
Unfortunately, too many hear the commandments from God, and make wrong choices NOT TO OBEY what they have been told to do. Excuses for not observing the Holy Spirit’s pulling on our hearts can creep in and support our unwillingness to not obeying what we are told.
It is easy to be convicted of our lying lips, but quickly write it off to, “Well, I had to lie or I would have gotten in trouble.” A temptation to justify not going to church because of work, or “being too tired from a week’s work,” hardens one’s conscience; it is much easier to ignore what God’s Word instructs us to do. Refusing to tithe because “I hardly have enough to live on, let alone give to the cause of Christ” is one more act of disobedience that can bring God’s curse on your life or even His not helping and protecting you.
All Christians have similar opportunities to obey or disobey the still, quiet, convicting voice of God. The difference between a flourishing, growing Christian and a stagnant, disobedient Christian is that the one growing is the one that said “Yes” to what they were convicted of and did their best to obey. The one that may be “cursed” or have God’s helping and guiding hand removed from his life may be the one that ignored what he was told or shown to do by the convicting Holy Spirit.
Are we receiving the blessing of God on our life because of our obedience, or are we suffering because God’s hand is not guiding and helping us in our life? The choice is up to us. WHOM WILL WE CHOOSE TO OBEY: GOD OR OUR OWN WILL?
“…if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE…but as for me and my house, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)