The Path to Blessing
Today’s reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-28:14
My selection: Deuteronomy 28:1
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
My reflections: This verse opens a list of blessings promised to Israel contingent upon their faithful obedience to the law and to the worship of the LORD alone. The blessings extend from their individual lives to their national success, from their personal work to their international relations. A very optimistic picture is painted here as the Israelites stand on the border of the Promised Land. It was never fully achieved for any significant length of time although there seem to have been brief periods in which they experienced enough of this blessing to taste what could be if they were completely and consistently faithful.
Sadly, even a taste of the good life is not enough to overcome the depravity of human nature. It takes a fundamental change to make a fallen sinner even desire to be consistently obedient. That change can only come when the Holy Spirit regenerates the spiritually dead giving a new heart and mind that repents of sin and believes the gospel. The Spirit has come upon the Church and regenerates people wherever the gospel is preached. But there is more to come. Jesus told us to pray that God’s kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I long for the kingdom to come fully, a kingdom that will never end in which righteousness dwells. Meanwhile, obedience and faithfulness to the LORD does bring blessing. God is calling out a people for Himself who will live in a new heavens and earth where the knowledge of the LORD will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
My challenge: Today, seek to repent and to believe the gospel. There will be a taste of heaven and a promise of more blessing to come.
Tomorrow’s reading: Deuteronomy 28:15-29:29