ESOCS Devotional 4 July 2023
MEMORY VERSE: “And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” Deuteronomy 28:2 KJV
TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14 (KJV)
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lordsware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Obedience is the first law of the blessing. Adam stayed in blessing as long as he remained in obedience. The moment he stepped into disobedience, he stepped out of the blessing. Thus, obedience is a major magnet of the blessings of God. Ordinary people look for the blessing, whereas the blessings look for the obedient. The blessing travels in the direction of obedience. Nothing ruins the blessing like disobedience, “…but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” (Psalm 68:6). Therefore, every blessing of God is accessible using the platform of obedience. According to our text, obedience implies hearing and knowing the voice of God. For many people, the problem is not lack of obedience but being out of touch with the voice of God. Several people are distracted with many things, others married to tradition, making obedience practically impossible. To be on the pathway of obedience, one must be passionate to hear God’s voice. There are so many things we lose when we fail to hear God. Anyone who must make any headway in life and access the blessings must be committed to hearing God’s voice in order to live in obedience.
Secondly, obedience implies trusting in the goodness and faithfulness of God. It is not possible to obey God when you suspect or doubt Him. Adam disobeyed because the devil brought him to the point where he suspected and doubted God. We must realize that whatever God tells us is for our good. His instructions are for our profit. “…I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit…” (Isaiah 48:17). In instructing us, it must be settled in our hearts that God is not taking advantage of us, it is for our benefit. Hear this, you are not doing God a favour when you obey Him, rather you do yourself and family great favour. Please know that those who trust God do not rust, for God is too faithful to fail.
Thirdly, obedience implies acting without over analysis. It means acting in promptness. It must be stated that delayed obedience equals disobedience. God is a God who has need for urgency. Many obey God reluctantly, some conveniently and others grumbly. Over analysis is the doorway to paralysis. Acting in promptness is critical in obedience.
Make up your mind to obey God gladly, excitedly and willingly, by so doing, you successfully position yourself for the blessing of God.
- Obey God in your character and lifestyle.
- Obey God in your company and associations.
- Obey God in your assignment, location and decision.
- Father, thank you for the promised blessings, give me the grace to obey you always, to enable me access these blessings, in Jesus Name, Amen.
FURTHER READING: Daniel 2:1-12; Luke 2:21-32; Acts 13:1-12
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ESOCS Devotional 4 July 2023
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