God Speaks
Blessings and Curses Related to God’s Renewed Covenant with Israel
Verse of the Day: “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: . . . However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: . . .” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, 15 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Deuteronomy 28-29:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Deuteronom 28
1. God both rewards those who love and obey Him as well as punishing those who refuse to do so, This is true most often in this life but not always. The LORD will deal justly with all people in eternity.
2. People: Dennis Prager points out while commenting on this chapter: “People who lead irresponsible lives and do not exercise self-discipline are rarely persuaded by promises of rewards to change their ways. It is much easier to do what one wants to do at any given moment and reap immediate rewards such as pleasure, fame, and money than to do the right thing and reap long-term rewards.” * The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy: God, Blessings, and Curses, Dennis Prager, page 430.
Deuteronomy 29
1. God is aware of everything that is hidden and will deal with it rightly in His time and in the appropriate way.
2. People get used to and forget or take everything for granted, even miracles. We tend to focus on and remember the bad stuff longer than the good stuff.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 28-29?
Thank You, LORD God, King of the universe, that You care about the people You have created (including me). Thank You that You not only gave us these rules for a good and meaningful life, but You also reward us when we follow Your instructions. I believe that the curses You are giving here are not so much our deserved punishment as the natural consequences of our rebellious, self-directed actions and bad attitudes. Even our (my) rebellion can be forgiven and corrected if we (I) will turn back to You with faith in the One who suffered and died on the cross in our (my) place. You will restore us (me) and bless us with the blessings listed here. This is true for nations as well as individual people. This is how sinful human beings can have fellowship with You, the one and only holy and triune God. LORD God, I admit that I have an ungrateful and rebellious heart. You have been so good to me in my life. Your goodness covers every area of life–physical health and strength, mental learning and wisdom, and emotional stability and social interaction to name a few broad categories. You are so loving, patient, and kind. How could I ever express the gratitude You deserve? The only way I can see is to surrender my whole life to You, studying Your word (the Bible), and following Your ways wherever and however You want. Please help me, Holy Spirit, to live in such a way that points other people to believe and follow Christ as well. May all I think, say, and do bring honor to Your name, LORD God. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Deuteronomy 28-29? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will study the Bible so that I can know how to trust and obey the LORD and receive His blessings.
- I will talk with family members, friends, strangers, or enemies about how they can avoid the curses listed here.
- I will daily verbally thank God for at least ten things for which I am grateful.
- I will admit to the LORD (and to other people as appropriate) where I have made wrong decisions or taken wrong actions because I have put myself or other things in the place only the LORD God should have in my life.
- I will leave to God to judge and deal with the sins that only He knows, whether He reveals them for humans to take action or deals with them in eternity.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.