Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Wednesday March 11, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Deuteronomy. Please read chapter 28 in your Bible or you can Click Here to read it online. If the link does not work you can copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=5&chapter=28&version=9

Today' Message: Submitting To God
Many people feel that being submissive is a sign of weakness, but the children of God know that obedience to the Word of God is the source of their strength.

Moses' final appeal to the Israelite nation was to get them to understand that their security in Canaan depended upon them being submissive to God. He related the the blessings that they people would receive by doing so. " And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out." (Deuteronomy 28:1-6). The Israelites could choose either to live as His Word directed and enjoy the Lord's blessings or to reject His Word, as their parents had done, and suffer the consequences.

Then he solemnly warned them of what those consequences will be if they chose to live a life of sin. "The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me." (28:20). There are almost four times as many verses that warn of the curses resulting from disobedience than of the blessings resulting from obedience. The obvious conclusion to be drawn from God's Word is that each sin has a consequence and it definitely does not effect only the person, but those around them.

Many people fear submitting to God because they see these verses about curses and death and think that He is cruel saying, how can God love us with when He causes so much pain? The truth is that God does not cause the pain, we do. The suffering and pain that we endure often comes from our own doing, the guilt alone causes much of the suffering all on it's own.

We are so blessed today because we no longer have to fear being stoned for doing things that we know are morally wrong. The powerful blood of Jesus saves us form all our sins, in fact we were saved from them even before we knew that we were going to commit them. And all we have to do to be forgiven is confess our sins, then they are wiped away, never to been seen again. Of course that does not mean that we will not endure the consequences for them.

I will point out that this fact can be misapplied, often we are faced with affliction that has nothing to do with sin. Jesus explained that sometimes we are just faced with affliction in order to bring us closer to Him. "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:1-3). What seemed to be a curse became a blessing, for it brought this man to his Savior.

So, how do you know if you are being chastised or tested? You know by submitting to God. No matter what, all things work together for good, one may be faced with affliction, but through it all God will increase their blessings as they grow closer to Him. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

Today's Psalm: 66:2-4
"Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank You for enlisting us as Your servants in the kingdom of God here on earth. You do not require a royal title or a seminary degree as a prerequisite in advancing Your kingdom. You look for willing hearts whose love and commitment to Christ spill over into their words and actions in every setting in which they’re found. May we be eager to diligently study Your Word so that we can effectively serve You in reaching others through the opportunities provided us. Thank You for the many who are faithful examples of lives that are fully yielded to Your purpose as they glorify You while influencing others for the Kingdom. In Jesus' name...........Amen.

Have a wonderful day/night.
God bless,
Christina

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