Deuteronomy 28:1-7

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: 3 Your towns and your fields will be blessed. 4 Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. 5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. 6 Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. 7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!”

As the children of Israel stood on the edge of the Promised Land, after doubt and disobedience had led to 40 years of wandering, which left a trail of corpses scattered across the wilderness, God promised them blessing. God could have dismissed His doubt filled disobedient children, but instead He promised to bless them if they would but walk in obedience. Obedience opens the door to blessing, but it is not just being obedient it’s about total obedience. Verse one says, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands” True obedience is total obedience, meaning that God’s Will must be done God’s way. That is why it is so important to wait on the Lord. Obedience involves orientating our lives toward God. Which means that we will need to make the necessary adjustments, changes, and sacrifices in order to fully obey. Sometimes we will be tempted to wonder if walking out God’s Will is worth it, but we need to remember that when we give to God a full measure of obedience, we will receive a full measure of blessing. The first blessing that we see is a:

• Geographical Blessing

Verse 3 says “Your towns and your fields will be blessed” This is a powerful promise which reminds us that God’s blessings know no boundaries. God’s blessings don’t just impact the towns where we live but also in the fields where we work. God’s blessing aren’t limited to any particular demographic, whether you are in the city or out in the country God can bless you. No matter where you are or where you have come from the Almighty’s ability to bless is still the same. It’s not based on who you are but who He is, so no matter who you are or where you come from God can bless you. Regardless of whether you are a mechanic or a medic, a C.E.O. of a well-known company or a regular Joe blow it doesn’t limit God’s ability to bless. So whether you come from a well to do family or an overdue one remember it doesn’t matter who you are, it only matters who He is. What limits our lives and puts boundaries on God’s blessing is disobedience. Disobedience destroys, it buries God’s blessing. What about you are you limiting the Lord’s blessings? When it comes to God’s blessings are you building boundaries and putting up boarders? Are you destroying blessing with your disobedience? Not only do we see God’s boundless blessings geographically but we also see:

• Generational Blessing

Verse four says, “Your children and your crops will be blessed.” It’s the same message that we see in Exodus 20:6, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments: “I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.” Again we see that God’s blessing knows no bounds, not only geographically but generationally. As parents there is something within us that desperately desires to bless our kids. It’s why we find in Mark 10:13 parents bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed, “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them” What’s interesting to see is the response of His disciples, “the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.” Unfortunately this is how many of us also view God, that we are a bother not a blessing, that God has more important things to do than love His kids. But nothing could be further from the truth that’s why Jesus reacted with rebuke toward His disciples. There is nothing wrong with wanting to bless your kids it’s our definition of bettering and blessing that’s the problem. Blessing always leaves us better, so why do our attempts to bless seem to be hurting and harming our kids instead of helping them? Why do our blessings end up bruising? Because in our attempt to prosper our kids we are trading people for possessions. We are giving them riches instead of relationship. We have bought into the belief that blessings revolve around riches, that all we have to do to bless our kids is buy them more stuff. What we have actually done is trade time for treasure, but my kids don’t want my money they want me. Think about it what would you rather have God or gold? Why would you settle for stuff when you can have the Savior? Instead of benefitting and blessing them we are babying them. Instead of bettering the next generation we are creating brats. Why do we have a society of spoiled brats because instead of blessing we are enabling. If we want to bless our kids then we need to recognize that they need God not gold. Do you want God’s blessing for you and your future family, then don’t be a disobedient disciple, repent and return to living life for the King. Keep walking in what God has revealed to you thus far, and as He reveals more of His Will chose to walk with His even further. In John 12:35 Jesus said, “Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you.” Are you living in the light so that darkness does not overtake and overcome you? Every moment we hesitate to follow God’s call is a moment we risk wandering around in darkness. Every moment we hesitate to heed the call is a moment we risk wasting our lives instead of investing them. We need to commit ourselves to living our lives for the Lord, and walking in whatever light God has given that day for us to walk in. The headlights of my car don’t shine all the way from my car to my eventual destination. They only shine a certain distance, which, when I have traveled that distance, I find that they shine out further. Rarely does God light up our whole lives in one moment, shinning so that we can see from start to finish. But the further we step out in faith the further the light shines. As the old Hymn says “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way;

While we do His good will,

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Where we struggle to trust is often where we struggle to obey, so where in your life are you struggling to trust God? God wants to bless us but if He blesses bad behavior we will become brats, and God loves us too much to let that happen.  God blesses us to be a blessing not to be a brat. So let me ask you are you being a blessing or being a brat?