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“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16 NKJV).

God’s covenant always comes with a condition: “If.” If you will do this, then this will be the result. If you do not do this, then that will be the result. Within the Bible, our relationship with God depends upon our living up to the “if” statements. 

He tells the Israelites that He placed before them the way of life and death. He then calls upon them to do several things: listen, love, walk, and observe. In fact, listening to God is defined as loving Him, walking in His ways, and observing His commandments. 

The evidence that we have listened to God is determined by how we obey Him and walk in keeping with His commands. This also is the biblical definition of loving God: observing His commandments. 

The promise God gave to Israel is if they would do this, then they would live and multiply and God would bless them. We hear people today talking about God wanting to bless us, and He does. He’s a good father. But, in the Bible, God’s blessing is always the then of an “if-then” statement. 

Too often, we want blessing without obedience; we seek relationship without repentance. We want life without observing the commandments. The Bible often connects God’s commandments and obedience to them with the way of life. 

We have a daily obligation to listen to God’s commandments, to love Him by walking in His way and observing His statutes. If we do this, then He has promised His blessing; He has promised life and goodness. So, today, choose life. 

PRAYER

Father, today we choose to listen to Your voice, to walk in Your ways, to observe all that You command, and to love You. Amen.