The Secret Is Being Blessed In Obedience

HOW to be blessed?

It’s the question we might presume is on every Christian’s mind. It might be on the mind of the person who doesn’t even yet believe. Of course, everyone wants a ‘blessed’ life if we think of it in terms of outcome, so, how is it that we are to be blessed?

In the Kingdom of God there’s one way to blessing — to be obedient by faith.

It’s an old fashioned thing, I know, but we ought to remember that the things of the Kingdom of God are unchanging, as God is. They are eternal, as God is. They don’t change like our culture does. The eternal law of the Lord is be blessed to obey, or if we choose to go our own way…

In the fashion of Romans 1:24:

“God will give us over to the desires of our hearts.”

God will not force us to repent. Never has, never will. But God does give us permission to live our own lives in our own way. God not only gives us permission to lead a sinful life, but he also gives his permission to lead a sacred life, set apart to him, because of our obedience of faith. Such a life is as perfect as life on this earth ever comes.

It’s our choice. We choose our consequences. And that might be how we can think of God’s judgment. We reap what we sow. If we eat too many cookies our waistline will show it. If we constantly compare ourselves with others we will never be happy. If we do not seek help for our mental illnesses we will never get better or learn to manage our lives. If we insist on withholding forgiveness, then bitterness is ours. Anger will be our accompanist, and our emotions will always consume us.

In God’s Kingdom, the onus is on us. We must be prepared to step forward in faith.

The more we honour God by doing life his way — against the world and even much of the church — he will bless us. We are blessed simply by the consequences of our actions over the long haul. We cannot expect to obey for a week and then find God showering us in blessing. We need to affirm our belief by walking in obedience — our choice independent of signs of God’s blessing.

We obey because we want to obey; it has become the desire of our heart.

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God encourages us to obey,

And blesses us to that accord,

Unless we choose to go our own way,

And make us to be own lord.

God encourages us to obey,

By his purpose, power and provision,

He bids us go his holy way,

So we may make reality of his vision.

God will give us what we desire. By the way we live we reap what we desire. The true desire of our hearts is what God gives.

Will we be given over to our sin, or will we be blessed in our obedience.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.