Strength through Obedience

8 “You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, 9 and that you may live long in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, 12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lordyour God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. (Deuteronomy 11)
From the beginning to the end of this chapter, God's message is repeated and consistent: keep on obeying His commands. If God's people would do so, He would clear the way, keep sending rain, and bless the land.  If they would not, He would not.  They only partially obeyed, which took their strength away. When they would not obey, they met resisitence, sapping their military strength, making it take generations to take the land instead of days. When they did not obey, the rainfall was affected, making it harder to till the land and raise crops, leading to times of famine and frustration. When they did not obey, their spiritual strength and resolve were weakened, and they struggled against the influences of idolatry in their culture.  Obedience brings strength; it reinforces our resolve; it reminds us of Who is Lord; it keeps us focused on the promise of God.  Take some time today to ask God to show you the results of disobedience in your life, and ask for His renewed strength to obey and see His blessing.