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We are still in the Book of Deuteronomy in our (every Thursday) COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY. 

Last week we discussed that God blesses the wombs of his servants that are obedient and those nations prosper and grow into great nations. 

This week we are going to look at another blessing that comes from obedience to the ways of God.  We read this in Deuteronomy, Chapter 28:12-13:

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.  You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.

I can't read this verse without thinking of many of my friends who are now hoarding food inside their homes; waiting on disaster to happen across the nation.  They are expecting food shortages for many reasons; and they could be very on-track.  Time will tell. 

As I was buying groceries yesterday at one of the big-box stores I heard an announcement over their loud speakers to all customers: "It might be good to stock up on all of your necessities now; as we are going to have to limit your purchases to no more than one of certain items in the future."

Sounds like the retail stores are expecting the same troubles that my hoarding friends are contemplating.  Our country and our economy have become very unpredictable; and you never know when you wake up each morning what new development will be in the news of the day. 

This is sad; but you know what?

God has promised to open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on our lands in season and to bless all the work of our hands!

We need to keep this in mind and just keep working to provide for ourselves.

All of this great blessing depends on our total obedience to God's Word and God's ways. 

I constantly pray that God's people of today are strong enough to stand and continue giving the work of their hands toward providing daily food for the nations.  God has promised to send the rain when we need it This means (if we are obedient) that our crops will grow and be nurtured, and become abundant; if we just have the faith to keep doing God's will daily; He will provide us with food and necessities. 

What does "doing God's will daily" really mean though?

There are many answers:

  1.  It means that we stop murdering babies through abortion.  Texas is surely making great strides toward this goal of obedience.  I applaud them and their efforts.  They are giving God reasons to save all of us and we should strongly support them and continue to fight the good fight in all of the places where we have been planted. 
  2. Another way of living life God's way would be to consider carefully and responsibly how we handle our finances, and what we do to promote the best economy in our lands.  That last part of the above verse should be weighing heavily on the shoulders of our congressmen and representatives as they go to vote on laws that would fund our country for the next few years.
  3. Honesty is part of godliness.  We should begin to title our bills truthfully.  If the bill is about "infrastructure" it should truly only go to the funding of infrastructure.  Right now; The American Society of Engineers has given America a C- grade on our current infrastructure.  So much needs to be done!  Are we trying to fund THOSE things?  Not really.  Only 10% of the money mentioned would truly fund "infrastructure." 
  4. Creating division and chaos is not a godly way to live.  We are simply rewording and splitting hairs in the infrastructure bill to get money for some "other things" that will further divide the nation.  One example of such legislature would be the PRO act which would repeal 27 states right-to-work laws.  How can "the work of our hands" be blessed if we give up the things that give us the right to work?

Let's just drop the political reasoning here because it is getting a bit off-subject with our lesson; but I did want to point out that if we intend to follow God's ways in our country's governing policies and procedures; they need to come about honestly, fairly and openly.  Infrastructure and labor relations are two different subjects and should be handled separately.  This is simply a way for a stubborn political group to get their way; no matter what the rest of the people think.  That isn't God's way at all. 

The last part of the verse referenced above which speaks of the blessings of obedience states that an obedient nation would always "lend to many but borrow from none."  Again; America is beginning to increase the long trail of waste through overspending and borrowing.  It isn't godly.  We need to stop.  Our economy could turn around by obedience and a miracle from God; but not if we continue to spend money that we do not own. 

Of course; because we know that God is the same today, tomorrow and always; anything that applies to Israel from God also applies to any other country.  God never changes!  Obedience is always its own reward and disobedience is always the path to destruction. 

We have been warned over and over again.

Will we listen to God and begin to follow His ways above all other ways; or will be keep going down the path toward destruction?

There are still godly people out there trying their best to make a change.  Find them.  Support them.  Pray for them and take a stand beside them.