June 3

Deuteronomy 7 As I write, I have four living grandchildren. They are each a delight to my soul and precious in my sight. When they come, I want nothing more than to bless them. But if I gave them everything they asked for, it would not be healthy. They would end up with a diet that is full of sugar and lacking in nutrition. The puppies would probably be mangled, and other dangerous things would happen. Sometimes they are quite demanding. Sometimes I have to say, “No.” Nevertheless I suspect that I am more merciful with them than I was with their fathers, and I am probably more faithful to them than I was to their fathers. “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Now, I am not trying to represent that I am, by any stretch of the imagination, godlike, but I do want to communicate how much I want to bless them. Verses 12-13 tell us, Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. 13“And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. It is the glory of the Lord that He desires to bless His people. But notice, it is dependent upon His people listening to, keeping and doing His judgments. The greatest blessing that He can give to us is for us to experience His glory. Hmmm. . . the more we listen to, keep and do his judgments, the more He blesses us. The more He blesses us, the more glory He receives. It is also to his glory that He disciplines His people. So the more we do not listen to, keep and obey, the more He disciplines. The more He disciplines, the more He is glorified. So then, He is glorified whether I obey or disobey, but if I am obedient, then I can enjoy His glory. If I am disobedient, His glory will be painful. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john