- Lorie Hedgepeth
Obedience
"Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers.”
(Deuteronomy 8:1
The words of Deuteronomy, Chapter 8 are addressed to the Israelites. For 40 years they had lived in the wilderness. The truth is, they wandered in the wilderness. Procession without Progress. Sound familiar? Does it seem that your life, perhaps your ministry is best described as “a wandering”…..procession without progress. Like the Israelites, we need the Counsel of God to charge us with a fresh passion for His Plan and Purpose.
First, Moses reminds the Israelites of the importance of obedience. How easy it is to become acclimated to a world that has lost its’ spiritual moorings - where valuables are more important than values, and our pleasure takes precedence over His plan. Success nor seniority exempts us from our obligation of obedience. The words of admonition were clear: “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe”.
Secondly, Moses makes it clear that God’s plan is for us to “live”. Jesus came to give us LIFE! LIFE is more than existence. Some circles of the church would have us believe that if we are enjoying life too much, we must be doing something wrong. The LIFE Jesus came to give us is an abundant life... overflowing and loaded with His blessings. Indeed, LIFE in Jesus is joy unspeakable and full of glory!
Thirdly, God’s plan for us is to multiply: “….that you may live AND MULITPLY..”. Granted, there are times in our life when it’s all we can do to just maintain… sustain and survive. That being said though, we must never allow ourselves to become satisfied with and consumed with maintenance. Don’t ever lose your vision for multiplication.
Then, Moses says that they are to “…go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers”. POSSESS WHAT HE HAS PROMISED! What has God promised you? What prophetic word of promise has been spoken over you, your family, or your church?
The instruction from Moses can be summed up in four words: Obey, Live, Multiply and Possess. The instruction of God is neither time nor culture sensitive. Obey God. Live in the Spirit. Multiply what God gives you and possess every promise He has made.