“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).
TEXT — Deuteronomy 28:1-14
Message
One of the greatest lessons about obedience was taught by Mary, the mother of Jesus. The occasion was a wedding ceremony at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus Christ was invited as a guest. When they ran out of wine, Mary approached Him for a possible intervention, but He seemingly rebuffed her. However, convinced that He could still do something, she told the feast’s attendants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” At length, Christ instructed them to fill the six available water pots there with water, which He converted to superior wine. That marked the beginning of public miracles in Christ’s earthly ministry.
Just as Mary advocated unquestioning obedience on the part of the servants at the feast, Moses, in today’s text, recommended absolute obedience to the people of Israel in their dealings with God. Great, rich, and varied blessings flow from such obedience. Moses assured the people that if only they would “hearken unto the voice of the LORD [their] God,” He would, among other benefits, bless their children and succession, make all their endeavours fruitful, defeat their enemies, and prosper them above other people.
God has neither changed nor has the demand for unquestioning obedience in dealing with Him been dropped. As in the case of Israel, our blessings, as Christians, hinge on obedience to God’s word. Sometimes, God’s instruction – such as filling pots with water when wine was needed – may seem unreasonable to the human mind. Still, God knows, sees, and can do all things and knows better. It is safer to believe and act on His word than to depend on our understanding of life’s issues.
Typically, we begin a New Year with the hope of enjoying God’s presence, peace, success, victory, and more fulfilment. Let us also commit to obeying God in small and great matters throughout the year. If we do, His blessings in different shapes will not only come to us but shall “overtake” us. This means the blessings people are greedily and elusively running after will run after and get to us without anxiety.
Thought for the day
Obedience to God is the only route to the right destination.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
3 comments
This is indeed a healthy/ balanced diet for
ever heaven bound believer. Feeding on it
daily helps one to live with eternity in view,
fortifies one against sin, Satan, and pressure
from the world.
This is indeed a healthy/ balanced diet for
ever heaven bound believer. Feeding on it
daily helps one to live with eternity in view,
fortifies one against sin, Satan, and pressure
from the world.
I really appreciate this message
Daily manna is a smooth road to daily and fulfilled happiness with God. It’s a daily Spiritual food