"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." (Isaiah 1:18, 19)
If only I had understood this passage many years ago! I grew up in church. I knew about church. I song all the right songs and knew when to say amen. I knew church customs. I even went to school to become a preacher - but I went for the wrong reasons. I went to prove to everybody I couldn't do it. I had my own plans, my own dreams.
For the first twenty-nine years of my life, I was an out-and-out rebel. Sure God had placed a calling on my life. That was all too obvious even to my heathen mind. Oh, I prayed from time to time and read my Bible when I got bored, scared, or there was nothing on television. My Bible was nothing more than a reference book: something I consulted when I couldn't find answers anywhere else. And when I turned to it, I made it say what I wanted it to - you know, twisted it to my liking.
But God didn't give up. He just kept waiting until I painted myself into a corner - and it happened. Finally I found myself in a predicament I couldn't talk my way out of. God was faithful to forgive me of my sins, but I still had to face the consequences of my actions. Now, after all these years, I can honestly admit it was the best thing for me.
I still struggle from time-to-time with my rebellious nature, but I have learned that God is a good God. When I follow His lead, do His will, and do it with a willing heart, He provides all I need, and keeps my enemy at bay. I have learned what it means to live a life of favor - a life of blessing. In the Old Testament, God gave directions to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 28 as to how He wanted them to live. The first fourteen verses are filled with the blessings God promises to those who will hear His voice and obey His commands. I am learning each day to walk with Him and stay in communication with Him and, as the old song says, He walks with me, and talks with me, and tells me I am His own. Awesome!
My prayer for you - my instruction to you - is learn this lesson early. Don't wait until later in life as I did. Lean in to His Word, learn to hear His voice, and joyfully do what He asks. May you discover, as many others have, the peace and fulfillment that comes with life truly lived for God.
Be blessed.
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