This was originally posted on the First 5 app and can be found here.
The Greatest Reward
Sandy Johnson
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 28:1-14
Deuteronomy 28:1 (ESV) "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth."
I watched as my son threw his pencil down and said, "I'm NEVER going to finish. It's too hard." The packet of summer homework was only half finished, and the first day of school was days away.
"Your work will pay off!" I encouraged. The soon-to-be first graders who finished the work would be rewarded with a pizza party; I knew my son really wanted to be included.
I can think of various scenarios in my own life where effort was worth a reward far better than pizza, and I'm sure you can too. The tasks may be difficult, but we enjoy the benefits of our hard work.
In today's scriptures, Moses shared all the blessings the Israelites would enjoy if they faithfully followed God's commands. He identified three specific areas where the Israelites would experience God's favor:
1. They would be set above every other nation (Deuteronomy 28:1; Deuteronomy 28:7-10). This included military and financial success.
2. They would experience agricultural prosperity (Deuteronomy 28:3-5; Deuteronomy 28:11-12). This included fruitfulness in their livestock and in their fields.
3. They would enjoy intimacy with God and serve as a testimony to all nations (Deuteronomy 28:9-10). Every nation would recognize Israel as blessed and "be afraid" of them. In Hebrew, the word for "be afraid" is yārē', which also means "be in awe of" or "honor and revere."
It was simple: If they obeyed, then they would receive blessings. Moses stressed this conditional "if" five times in today's reading, highlighting how the Israelites' obedience would demonstrate their honor and love for God and they would experience His favor in return. Moses trusted in God's promises and His character, and he wanted the Israelites to do the same. God is not a demanding dictator eager to punish His subjects but a loving Father who wants to pour out blessings on those who love Him (Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 6:3).
Much like the Israelites, God's people today experience blessings when we walk in His ways, but our rewards are not the prosperity blessings promised in the old covenant. In the new covenant of grace in Christ, God's people "will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way," for the true riches of Christian life are unearned and eternal (2 Corinthians 9:11). Many scriptures (e. g. , Luke 18:24-25; Mark 8:36; 1 Timothy 6:8-10) warn about the dangers awaiting "the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). We are also told that believers in Christ will often face persecution rather than be honored by the world (John 15:19-20; Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Peter 4:12-14).
But the hope of salvation and eternal life with Jesus, the forgiveness of our sins, and the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide us are gifts that hold the greatest value and can never be destroyed or taken away from us (Matthew 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:4). Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection are the best blessings we could ever receive … and we've done nothing to earn them.
Our motivation for obedience to God should never be our desire for blessings but rather our love for God and gratitude for the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. As St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a religious leader in the 12th century, once wrote, "The soul that loves God seeks no other reward than that God whom it loves."
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You give us every day. Most of all, thank You for the gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We are undeserving, but because of Your overwhelming grace, You love us anyways. You call us Your children, and we can trust that You will help us to obey You and to follow Your commands. Because You have blessed us, we can bless others. I pray that our lives will point others to You. In Jesus' name, amen.
More Moments:
Near the end of today's scriptures, we read, "The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow" (Deuteronomy 28:12).
God wanted to bless Israel so they could in turn bless others. We're called to do the same by giving what we have to offer: our resources, our abilities and our time. These acts allow us to share God's love with those around us who are in need.
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered" (Proverbs 11:24-25).
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed" (Proverbs 19:17).
"Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? ' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me'" (Matthew 25:44-45).
“And he answered them, 'Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise'" (Luke 3:11).
"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God" (Hebrews 13:16).
Major Moment: Moses explained the covenant blessings for obedience.
My Moment:
What are some blessings you can thank God for today?
During a particularly difficult season of my life, I initiated the habit of writing down three things I was grateful for each morning. Turning my focus from the hard things to the good things helped me intentionally start looking for even more blessings. So here are the three blessings I thanked God for today: First, because it's Valentine's Day, I'm thankful for my husband who loves and takes care of me and our kids so well. Second, I'm thankful for an unexpected financial gift that helped cover a need. Finally, I'm thankful that I've been able to stay healthier and have more energy over the past few months.
Major Moment:
Moses explained the covenant blessings for obedience.