Obedience = Blessing - Daily Devotional August 7th, 2010

Daily Bible Reading - Judges 21, Acts 25, Jeremiah 35, Luke 4

“A 15 year old boy reminded his father he had gotten permission to go to the movies the following Friday, and asked if he could get some money for the ticket and snacks. His father said the money was already set apart for him and asked him to go to his room and organize the mess of clothes that were all over the floor. The 15-year-old kid went over to his room started organizing but his computer made a very distinctive sound, a beep he knew very well. His friends were trying to chat with him, so organizing was put on break.

A couple of hours went by, the father walked by the room and after he realized the room was still looking as though a bomb of laundry had exploded he just smiled at his son and asked him to get ready for dinner in 45 minutes. His son remembered the task and started organizing but he found his PSP in the mess and without even thinking about it he turned it on and wasted his 45 minutes playing games. During dinner the son asked his father not to forget to give him the money to what the dad replied “Didn’t you find it?” the son looked at him quizzically and his father asked him to go to his room with him. His dad picked up all of the clothes from the floor, put them in the bed and right under the clothes there was an envelope with more than what the son needed for the movies; his dad had put the money there earlier that day and wanted to surprise him and bless his son.

After the dad found the envelope he said: “Son, I found it; I keep it””

In Jeremiah 35 we are told about the Recabites, a group of people who took a vow never to drink. We see in verse 5 cups and jugs of wine were set before them, the temptation was probably great but as we keep reading we find out they didn’t succumb to the temptation, and studying further we find out that for hundreds of years before that moment they had been keeping that vow.

As we read the first few verses of Luke 4 we are told Jesus went to the wilderness and for 40 days Satan tempted him. Jesus was on earth on a mission and Satan was trying to divert Jesus from that mission and win his worship. And as we read further we learn Jesus didn’t succumb to the enemy’s temptation.

The last verses of Jeremiah 35 come with a promise and a blessing for the Recabites. God tells them that because of their obedience their descendants will serve the Lord. Imagine if God told you right now that your children, and your children’s children, and their children, and every child after that would serve Him and love Him; that’s a pretty exciting promise, it’s an absolute blessing to know your descendants will meet you up in heaven.

In Luke 4 verse 14 right after Jesus comes back from the wilderness it says He is filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. It is right after that when Jesus started His ministry. After he came back from the wilderness and won that one battle against temptation and sin, Jesus is blessed, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and he starts his ministry.

The story I shared at the beginning of this devotional is no different than your life or mine. God has blessings and amazing promises ready for us under our dirty laundry. All He’s asking us to do is pick up the mess, be obedient and follow His instruction. All throughout the Bible we see that obedience always equals blessing.

In which areas of your life are you missing out on a great blessing because you are succumbing to the temptation instead of succeeding in obedience?

Today I pray we have the strength of character to obey God. I pray that even though the temptation is always there, we will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to succeed in our battle against that temptation. Today I pray and declare we will receive the blessing God has prepared for us and is eagerly waiting for us to receive.

Much Love,

Jo

Tomorrow's Bible Reading - Ruth 1, Acts 26, Jeremiah 36, Luke 5