A Blessing and a Curse

Deut. 13:3-4

"For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him."

Moses had repeated countless times the importance of obeying all that God has said. "Be careful to obey all these words...that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God." In fact, he told the people that God's commands were double-sided. They brought a blessing and a curse, a blessing for obedience and a curse for disobedience. It was God's holiness that could not allow for any part of the false gods to remain because these gods and the people who worshipped them participated in abominations to God and His holiness. All  must be destroyed! But if God's words were obeyed, then long life, crops, gentle rains, and prosperity would be theirs. So what would the people choose? Blessing or curse? Amazingly, the heart of man is wayward and wicked. It often chooses its own way in spite of all warnings. As I read the word, do I obey, or do I seek some way to keep my own will? Do I love God with all my heart and soul to the exclusion of my self-will? Obedience is not a game to God. It is a heart attitude and a full-time life style. Thankfully, He gives me the grace and the power to obey. He gives me all that I need, but what choice do I make?

Father,

Give me the strength to choose You and obedience to Your words. Convict me of those sins that I often excuse so that I may love You wholeheartedly.

In Jesus name,

Amen