SCRIPTURE
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." Judges 2:10
"The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods." Judges 3:5-6
"In those days Israel has no king; everyone did as he saw fit." Judges 21:25
SPOTLIGHT
Joshua gave 20 years of leadership to the Israelites after Moses. He led them into the Promised Land. Then he died and there was 450 years of different judges ruling the people. Four key verses stand out in the book of Judges. They are Judges 2:10; Judges 3:5-6; Judges 21:25.
This is a very sad story because this book describes how spiritual compromise led to the defeat of the children of Israel. They lost God’s blessing by disobeying God. He had blessed them but that changed when they decided to follow their own ways.
God will withdraw His blessing when there is disobedience. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 states, “See I am setting before you today a blessing and curse –the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” At another time, God had directly asked through his servant Zechariah, “This is what God says, ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.” (2 Chronicles 24:20)
In the New Testament, the Hebrew writer warned in Hebrews 4:6,11, “It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.”
So what is the key to receiving God’s blessing?
A pastoral friend of mine said, “The things of God are dispensed through grace and received by obedience.” Blessings from God come to man because of His grace. Man receives those blessings by obeying God. Are you experiencing God’s grace? Obedience is the evidence of receiving God’s grace. Just as obedience is the sign that indicates the love of a child for his/her parents, so, it is for the person who knows the joys of being a child of God.
So, what is obedience? You must begin with being born again. Salvation is an act of obedience.
Acts 17:30 states, “In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.” Regarding our Savior and Lord, Hebrews 5:8-9 states, “Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.”
From the beginning point of salvation, there are numerous other acts of obedience or signs of loving God. Some of these are being baptized in water, experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, communion, tithing, reading God’s Word, worship, prayer, fellowship, witnessing, service, etc. Obedience in all of these areas opens up God’s door of blessing to the believer.
Do you love God? If you do, you will receive His grace by obeying Him! Obedience is not an optional sign of loving God! It is the necessary sign!
There is one word which unlocks the blessings of God’s grace on your life. The word is O-B-E-Y. Begin today!
SOMETHING TO DO
Take a piece of paper and print on it in a vertical fashion the word…
O
B
E
Y
Now write a sentence that begins with each letter of the word OBEY that will help you to learn to obey God more than ever before.
Example: O - BSERVE NEW WAYS EACH DAY TO LOVE AND OBEY GOD.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your numerous blessings you have poured out on me in many different ways. I have come to learn that I do not live well without your grace in my life. So thank you that I have learned that the secret to receiving your grace is through obedience to You. I ask that You continue to show me where and how to obey You. Forgive me for not always remembering that my ways conflict with Your ways which are so much better. And I pray this in Your Son’s name, Jesus Christ, AMEN!”