I have learned in my walk with the Lord that if God requires something of me then it must be for my long term good and for His glory. We know from Scripture that God requires a lot from us for we read in (Deuteronomy 10:12-13): “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”
It is clear from these verses that God wants our whole heart and complete obedience to His commandments. And the reason God wants us to obey Him is because He wants to shower us with His manifold blessings which He constantly has in store for us. We have always been taught that obedience can be a drag, a chore, and no fun. However, when we obey the Creator of the universe it becomes an exciting challenge, and a great joy to know obedience brings blessings, and it’s most of all pleasing to God.
My friends, obedience to God is not only the pathway to blessings and joy, but also to glorifying the Father. For you see when we obey God’s commandments we are lining up with His perfect will. And I know of nothing more wonderful and exciting than being in the will of the Lord. Notice at the end of (Deuteronomy 10:13) that it says that obedience is “for your good.” After reading the book of Deuteronomy I have found that this theme of obeying God for our good is repeated in several places. For example, we read:
“So, you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, so that it may go well for you and for your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” (Deuteronomy 4:40).
“If only they had such a heart in them, to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it would go well with them and with their sons forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).
“So, the Lord commanded us to follow all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our own good always and for our survival, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 6:24).
God’s love for us is so great that everything He orchestrates in our lives is an opportunity, to not only bring Him glory, through obeying His commands, but to bring us rich meaning and abundant joy. So, the next time you are asked to obey the Lord, I pray you will remember three things. First, you will be storing up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Second, you will be accruing abundant joy here on planet earth. And third, you will be playing an active role in the most important purpose in life – glorifying Jesus! Treasure in heaven, abundant joy on earth, and bringing glory to Jesus – I challenge you to find a better winning trifecta!
THAT was good. Quite a challenge!