IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Blessings for Obedience

Date: May. 10, 2017

Passage

Deuteronomy 28:1-14  (ESV)

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

“The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 28:13

And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them,

1. Blessed indeed (28:1-2)

The Lord was not vague about how his people would be blessed if they carefully followed his commands. He gave them a detailed list of all the blessings he would shower on them. Every activity of life would be blessed. It shows that the Lord is almighty and sovereign, in control of the weather, the womb, and everything in the universe. Those whom he decides to bless are blessed unconditionally.

2. Prosperity and victory (28:3-14)

God promised his obedient people abundance of the field and the womb, and victory over their enemies. It doesn't mean that we will always enjoy all the material aspects of the blessing. Jesus said that persecutions also come along with these blessings (Mk 10:30). Nonetheless, we should have confidence that we are blessed people indeed when we follow Jesus. In dark times, godly people may look like the "scum of the earth" (1 Co 4:13). But we can be sure that before God we are the head and not the tail, and overcome our inferiority complexes and self-pity.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are the giver of true blessing that no one can take away. Help me to seek your blessing first.

One Word: The head, not the tail

Daily Bread

Repent of Compromise with the World

Revelation 2:12-29

Key Verse: 2:16

Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

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