Deuteronomy 7:12-16 - Obedience and blessings go hand in hand

Everyone aspires to have a blessed life. Can that kind of life be possible? If it is, what is the key? Here in Deuteronomy 7:12-16 we are given the key to that aspiration. These verses tell us that obedience will unlock the blessings of God. By being obedient to God the people of Israel would be plugging into the source of the blessings. Figuratively speaking, like the switch that enables a current to flow into a bulb to produce light, their obedience would be like a switch that would enable the blessings of God to flow and light up their lives. This was precisely Moses' point in verse 12. He said, “Then it shall come about because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers.”  There is the certainty of blessings with obedience.   

Moses went on to describe the extent of the blessings that would be released into their lives when they obey God. He would not only prosper them but would also protect them.  Spiritually, personally, domestically, they would be richly blessed. Here is a gist of the blessings. They would experience His love individually, their families would be enlarged, their properties increased, their goods multiplied, their nation preferred, their health ensured, and their enemies defeated.

Although God has set obedience as the condition to unlock these blessings, we know that ultimately the blessings of God rest entirely on His faithfulness. Why? It’s because our self-centredness will always come in the way to obstruct our desire to obey. The only person that has perfectly obeyed God was Christ Jesus. His life and death have shown us that obedience is possible. Like Him, we must take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him. How can we do it? Take a closer look at the word obedience. Notice the middle letter of the word obedience is “I”. Together with the letter before and the letter after the “i”, we find the word “die.” If we ever want to build a life of obedience, the “I” in the center must “die.” Obedience is about yielding and surrendering one’s life to the Lordship of Christ. Unless a grain of corn falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But when it falls to the ground and dies, it will grow and become a full-bloom, fruit-yielding tree of blessings. Obedience and blessings go hand in hand. Let’s seek to obey God!