The Blessings of God are Conditional- Part 2
Deuteronomy 7:12 (NKJV)
“Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.” – Deuteronomy 7:12 (NKJV)
In Deuteronomy 28 we observe that the blessings of the Lord are conditional, we receive them once we completely obey. In Verse 14, we are admonished to, “…not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day..”. Turning aside have grave consequences, we become cursed, confused, and unfruitful.
If upon reflecting we realise we are at this phase, let us not be condemned by it, so much so that we believe that we can no longer have a right relationship with a righteous God. Jesus shed His blood on Calvary’s cross for all of our sins so we need not sit around for long hours, rehashing the past, feeling depressed, defeated, and dejected. Let the past remain in the past; a brand new and prosperous future awaits us all.
Our God is a forgiving God, once we repent. He is a God of first, second, third, and many more chances. He, however, hates premeditated intentional sins that are committed presumptuously by persons who presume that they will be covered by His cloak of mercy – Psalm 19:13 (NKJV). John Bunyan, author of, The Pilgrim’s Progress, once referred to sin as, “the dare of God’s Justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love”.
But in Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) God states, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you,…, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”. We have a hope and a future once we confess our sins and call upon the Lord. He will hear us. We serve a covenant-keeping God. Work towards His blessings!
Prayer
Lord, thank You for being the God You are, One Who remembers and forgives once we seek Your face. Help me never to walk in the path of unrighteousness but always seek to obey You. This I ask in the name of Your son Jesus Christ. Amen.
