Deuteronomy 28:1–2: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God”

March 15th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

God promised Israel that He would bless them in many ways if they would obey the Lord. They were to be obedient to His word, including the sacrifices required for sin, iniquity, and transgressions. Obedience, for them, as in our lives today, did not mean living an absolutely flawless life, never making a single mistake. If that was what it meant, then no one could ever stand before God, and heaven would be empty of humanity. However, it does mean living a forgiven life, and because it’s a forgiven life it is a blameless one. The blessings were to come not by perfect actions, but by a perfect relationship with God, one that was kept clean through repentance by blood offerings. They (and we) become blameless when sins are repented of and are therefore forgiven by God. As New Testament believers, our repentance alone is enough because of the sufficient blood sacrifice of God the Son.

God did bless that tiny nation, whose fame touched much of the world during King David and King Solomon’s reign. The second verse says the “blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.” That is an interesting way to think of God’s blessings. It’s like a surfer flying down the face of a wave of water, the wave pushing him faster and faster, until it finally curls up and over him and pushes him out the other side. God’s blessings are like that wave; they carry us, surround us, and finally push us out the other side free, clear, clean, and safe.

“LORD, we choose to keep short accounts with You. Forgive our sin and bless our lives so that we can bless others this day.”