In chapters 28 and 29, God laid out the blessings and curses for those who would obey His commands—or not. The list of blessings is short (12 verses) but comprehensive, and the list of curses is also comprehensive but goes on for more than 50 verses! Let's examine some of the blessings in this entry:
"The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them" (Deuteronomy 28:12-14).
Look at those listed benefits that come from serving Him: rain, work blessings, leadership, and promotion. Who wouldn't want to experience and enjoy those blessings? When we think of obedience, we usually think of God's commands for ethical behavior, things like being honest in business dealings, loving others, and paying attention to our worship duties. Yet, there's another aspect of obedience that's implied in this promised transaction and that's the obedience to God's purpose and creativity for you.
If you go back to Exodus 31:1-11, you'll see that God created certain men with the ability to work with metal, wood, precious stones, and fabric. They were assigned the job of designing the tabernacle. We must assume that others had a similar assignment such as tending the flocks, baking, sewing, leading, building, and fixing. They were also to "obey" and express those gifts and talents, for it was through them that the Lord would bless and prosper them.
Are you enjoying the prosperity that comes from obedience? What does your obedience involve? In other words, what creativity and purpose are you pursuing and expressing? If you aren't enjoying the benefits listed in Deuteronomy 28, then what's missing in your life? Where do you need a course correction to enjoy the flow of godly success? God wants you not just to survive but thrive, but that's going to happen not just when you abstain from evil but also when you do good—the good that only you can do because it emanates from the essence of who God made you to be.
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