Obedience is for Our Own Good.

Blessings of obedience from Deuteronomy 8.

Deuteronomy 8:1

All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.

Wow! After reading Deuteronomy 8, the Holy Spirit pointed out a few things God said right here that we should pay attention to:

1) God's commandments and instructions are given for our own good.

In Deuteronomy 8:1, God explains that he has given us commandments that WE may live, multiply, and possess what He has for us.

2) There is a reason for wilderness seasons.

He takes us through the wilderness not to torture us, but to humble us, to prove our character, and test our hearts. (Seeing whether or not we’ll trust Him or disobey & go our own way.)

Deuteronomy 8:2

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

3) We should rely on Him.

He takes us through wilderness seasons to teach us that our strength comes from Him. “Man does not live on bread alone.

Deuteronomy 8:3

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

Psalm 121:2

My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

4) Even when it doesn't seem like it, God is STILL covering us.

Deuteronomy 8:4

Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

5) As a parent disciplines a child, God disciplines us to correct us.

Deuteronomy 8:5

Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.

Discipline is not meant to be harsh or cruel, but it is meant to correct us and lead us along the right path.

6) We should not forget the God Who led us through.

After these promises, God reminds us not to forget Him when we see the promise.

‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:11

But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.

Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:18

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is HE that giveth thee power to get wealth, that HE may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

The Point:

Obedience is for OUR own good. God is STILL on the throne in your wilderness seasons, and there is a purpose

in the pain. However, don’t forget God when He brings you out of the pit or when you get what you’ve been praying for.

Invitation to Salvation

God desires so much more for us than we know. God desires for us to be restored back to His original design for mankind. I’m sure you’ve heard the story before about Adam & Eve and the fall of humanity (see more here.) God designed us to display His glory. Unfortunately, we chose to follow our own idea of evil and good, and sin was introduced to the world. For a better understanding and in-depth analysis of why we need salvation please visit these resources!

• Original Sin and The Need for Salvation

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -------------- The gospel is God’s good news of reconciliation of Him & mankind. God is not looking for robots to aimlessly follow a leader who will smite them for doing the wrong thing. The truth of the gospel is that God loves us and invites us to dwell with Him in eternity. That is life. God’s overall plan is so much more than we could ever understand, but the beauty is that we don’t have to fully comprehend to believe in Him. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). As a result of human nature, we are all destined to die. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So instead of us having to die eternally and suffer the full sentence of death that came about as a result of sin, God took on that punishment for us. Through Jesus Christ, He justified us through His own blood and made life available to all who would choose to believe. The gospel is so much more than a story about an angry God who wants to control your life and just send you to hell if you don’t do what He wants. I implore you to study the scriptures and God’s creation and redemption story. He will give you the answers you seek. The gospel is God’s plan to restore us into relationship with Him. Sin keeps us from God. If you believe, or you feel that God is trying to get you to invite Him into your life, the first step is accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Believe that He died for the atonement of your sins (1 John 2:2), that He was buried, and resurrected on the third day, defeating sin and death (Revelation 1:18), and that He invites us to partake in this victory too (Romans 6:5-10.) So What Must I Do To Be Saved? Believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and repent (turn away) from a life of sin. (Acts 3:19) It is by His grace, through faith! (Ephesians 2:8-9).