The Key to Every True Blessing

“If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land.”

— Isaiah 1:19 (NRSV)

Such a fundamental spiritual principle is unfolded before us above. The blessings of favour are given by God to the spiritually diligent, because they have enrolled in the School of Diligence.

They have learned to be willing and obedient.

The key to every true blessing is the willingness to work and to be obedient. If we will present to God, as a soldier presents before his or her commanding officer, ready for battle, we will be given work, and, upon doing that work, we will be blessed; we will eat the good of the land. Such ‘work’ includes studying, working, as well as loving and serving people.

‘Eating the good of the land’ is a specific illustration for blessing.

The Joy in Such a Promise

Whenever we conceptualise this truth, that blessing is almost certainly ours afoot willingness and obedience, we are given to joy. We have found a way to live life by loving, and being in harmony with, God. And wisdom advises us that going this way is not only right, but necessary.

There is great joy in knowing that blessing is accessible for any of us; that God is faithful to his promise, to bless us when we play our virtuous roles.

Playing our roles in life is about discerning the work before us, and getting on with it. We have all heard the devil makes work for idle hands. We reverse that trend. We get busy towards focusing on God, and what we might do to advance his Kingdom whilst we are here, available, and specifically placed to do what only we can do.

When God promises, God delivers.

We are not to doubt this promise of God—that our willingness and obedience will be blessed. The Lord is not slow in rewarding the faithful, as we consider slowness. Our blessings will come at the appropriate time, and the longer we wait, the more joy is added to the experience of that blessing.

Experiencing God’s Faithfulness

Nothing builds our faith more than the experience of God’s faithfulness to bless us in our obedience. When we experience this favour, and we connect it to our diligence in honouring God by being willing and obedient, we are inspired to be all the more willing and obedient. We look for opportunities to outdo our previous deeds of faith; it’s a joyous outdoing.

Experiencing God’s faithfulness helps us to believe in the miraculous nature of the Lord. We note in this how real God is; how real he is to his Word.

***

Nothing builds our faith more than the experience of God’s faithfulness to bless us in our obedience. When we’re willing and obedient we can expect to be blessed, but we must continue onward often longer than we realise. We keep obeying and we’re blessed eventually.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.