SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 28
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
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 28:14] At the ‘middle’ of this chapter, between the lengthy list of blessings and the even longer list of curses, is this appeal to not turn aside, to the right or the left. The imagery is very graphic, intended to grip the heart and mind and body. The point is very clear – living with and for God will lead to blessing beyond imagination; living without and against God will lead to suffering unimaginable. Then this appeal – do not turn aside!!!
Jesus does something similar when He talks about the end times in Matthew 24. But there He describes the suffering part – For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equalled again. [Matthew 24:21] The reason for this great distress is because of the increase of wickedness in the world [Matthew 24:12] and because even the faithful will lose their love for God and turn away. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. [Matthew 24:12-13] Note the implied appeal – stand firm, and you will be saved!!!
We live in a sinful, mixed up world. God designed us to enjoy a life of blessing in this world, with Him and each other and all creation. This is why God states so clearly, obey me and you will find blessing. Unfortunately many (most?) do not obey or love God. The result is misery and suffering. In this world, even God’s people suffer. Not because they sinned, but because of sin in general.
As a general rule, obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings suffering. But we cannot forget that because this world is so mixed up, we will not experience that full blessing until God eradicates evil. In the meantime we must be faithful through temptation and suffering. We must stand firm, even when we struggle. We must refuse to turn to the right and the left, even when life gets hard. Outwardly, life will not be easy, but inwardly we will get stronger and deeper and more joyful and fulfilled. We will taste the inward blessing now, and standing firm, we will experience the full blessing at the end. But the appeal remains the same, stand firm, do not turn aside. Cling to the Lord through good times and bad, and He will bless you now in part, and fully in the end!
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to hear Your appeal to me, loud and clear! Help me to stand firm and not turn aside, and trust You for the blessing!
When reading through all the curses that would be brought upon Israel if they did not “listen obediently to the Voice of God, their God”, I could not help but think if this was the picture of what they experienced when Babylon invaded them and took them into captivity. The verses are so extremely descriptive, so full of desparity – Dantes hell, really. They also seem vividly congruant to what Israel faced in the concentration camps under the Nazi regime… these are the children of God and this is the reality of Gods justice when even his own children walk away from him.
How undifferent this is for us as well. Because of the blood of Jesus, we are now adopted into Gods family. We have become the children of God as well. But it also comes with great honour and responsibility.
Am I listening obediently to the Voice of God, my God? If I am not and continue to disregard him, I am in fact walking away from the blessings of God and my actions, even noble actions for Christ, will become fruitless and futile.
It reminds me of Matthew 7:21-23 with Jesus stern warning against those who merely do things in the name of God but did so for their own interests – they were not listening to the Voice of God, their God, because Jesus declares “I never knew you”
LOrd, help us not to be deceived … we need to heed to your Voice, not our own. Help us to truely become your children and walk as children of light.