March 25, 2013
Deuteronomy 4:1-49
Luke 6:39-7:10
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 11:28
Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. (Deuteronomy 4:1)
Us: God, what exactly do you mean? Are you GIVING us the land or do we have to TAKE POSESSION of it?
God: Yes!
My mom spoke similar words to her often-rebellious teenage son saying, "Kenny, this is your home and you can stay here as long as you want IF you follow my rules." Having enjoyed a warm bed and three meals a day for a little over a decade of my life, I figured I would take her up on her offer. And her "rules" weren't that bad – I just didn't want to follow them all of the time. Communicating my whereabouts, taking out trash, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming carpets, putting gas in the car after using it – this was normal. They actually taught me much about life!
Be responsible.
Consider the person who will come after you.
Be accountable and communicate.
Taking possession of the land (Deuteronomy 4) and building a house that stands (Luke 6) both hinge on the same thing: obeying God's word. God has given us life and blessings beyond what we could ever ask or even imagine, but we can only access it through obedience to His word. Many times we find ourselves asking God over and over again for that which is already available to us through obedience. And in those instances God is saying to us, "I've already given it to you, but you have to take possession of it. I've already promised to keep you from falling and failing, but you have to build your life on the right foundation."
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." (Malachi 3:10)
Though this verse directly speaks about tithing, I think that the heart of the matter is about trust and obedience. I believe that this promise is transferrable to all obedience in God. If we would be faithful over the few things that God calls us to we would find that what God will release in return – into our lives and the lives of our loved ones – is far greater.
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)
Kenny Sullivan
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