Deuteronomy 11:16-17 (NLT) 11:16 “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods. 17 If you do, the LORD’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the LORD is giving you.

I told someone the other day that getting old isn’t for wimps. Every day it seems that I’m dealing with one thing or another physically. One of the things I really don’t like is that my eye sight is not the same. Without glasses I would not be able to function very well on a day by day basis. Spiritually speaking, on the other hand, is just the opposite. My spiritual eyes are becoming more and more focused. I can see things now that I wasn’t able to see before. One of the things that I’m seeing clearer now is how people are so easily deceived. This passage is a simple warning to not let our heart be deceived about worshipping the true God. There are many things vying for our attention. It is easy to get sucked into following little bread crumbs or shiny trinkets that look like truth but are not. It is interesting - It is not always the most obvious things that deceive us but the little things – like how we spend our money or how we spend our time that take us down little rabbit trails that take us away from the presence of God. The warning here is that in doing that we will put a block on God’s blessings in our lives and we will walk away from the favor of the Lord. The admonition is this – Be careful. Make it a high priority to do what is right and follow God with your whole heart, mind and spirit. Take it from someone who’s been around the block for a while – God is a jealous God. He won’t be shared with another.

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NLT) 7:7 “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 9 Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

What a simple truth today - God set His heart on me and chose me just because He loves me. I am the apple of His eye and He cares so much for me. My journey on life has been very blessed in that I have received many blessings from the Lord. There have also been difficult seasons that I’ve had to endure also. But the thing that I can say without reservation today is this – God is good all the time and His love and mercy has surrounded me and protected me through life. I don’t want to be like some who grow old and are bitter toward everyone and everything. I want to be that man who stands proudly with thanksgiving to God for all that He has done in my generation. I am so thankful and grateful this morning for God’s faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 4:24 (NLT) The LORD your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.

There are many pictures and descriptions that are given of God but I think this one is a very revealing description of God’s nature. First, He is described as a “devouring fire.” It is consuming and complete. Like a consuming fire He would purify what is precious (just as fire purifies precious metals) and destroy what is worthless. Secondly, He is seen as a jealous God. He will not allow another to have the honor that is due Him alone. Therefore Israel needed to be extremely careful to remember the covenant that was given them. I think that it is extremely important that we don’t forget this image of God. It should weigh upon how we live our life and how we make our decision. It should be the driving point of our conscience. Yes, God is a God of love but He is a God of emotion and passion also.

Mark 11:1-10 (NLT) 11:1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’” 4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”

I was struck by the phrase – “The Lord needs it.” Here is a “lowly” donkey that is owned by and “unnamed person” that the Lord needs for the work that He was doing. I wonder how many people feel that they don’t have anything to offer – that they are some obscure person without any talent to offer the Lord. We know nothing about the owner and we know nothing about the donkey. Yet, God used both for furthering his kingdom. Are you willing to use what you have? Are you willing to make available your gift to the Lord whether large or small? When Jesus was preaching on the Sea of Galilee the crowds we’re so big that He needed to preach from a boat. One was provided to him and He preached from it. When the crowds we’re hungry He used the lunch from a little boy to multiply it. You might think that you are not the most gifted person in life but consider this: a little in the hands of the Lord is a lot. Give what you have to God and watch how He uses it. You will be SO blessed if you do this.

Mark 10:42-45 (NLT) 10:42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus turns man’s perspective around here. He teaches us that true leadership comes from servant hood and not dictatorship. It comes from giving and not taking. That is just the opposite of what many of us have been taught and modeled in life. Jesus not only taught this but He lived it out by the way He lived. To those who learn this lesson become the type of leader that God can use over and over again. I pray that each and every one of us will take seriously this lesson and begin to serve our community with such a heart of love that people’s lives will be changed. It is then that God's rich and wonderful blessing will be poured out on our lives.

Mark 9:15-29 (NLT) 9:15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

It’s frustrating sometimes to see the ineptness of some people in regards to their Christian walk. They know the truth and have accepted Christ in their heart. They even go to church and worship on a regular basis. Yet there is no power and anointing to their lives. It’s almost as if they live their lives in different compartments – the spiritual compartment on Sunday for a few hours only and the flesh compartment the rest of the week. There is so much more for them. They don’t need to live in frustration discouragement and defeat. They use Christ when they need Him but live like the world the rest of the time. It doesn’t have to be that way. The truth is this - A person can have a power filled ongoing walk with the Lord if they just surrender completely to Him. It is the most satisfied place to be – with Christ at the helm of your life. I chose this many years ago and I’m glad I did.

Psalms 90:13-17 (NLT) 90:13 O LORD, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. 15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. 16 Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. 17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!

As I was reading this prayer this morning – I was struck by the directness and simplicity of it. It is a powerful prayer of faith for greater blessings ahead. Here are the basic components:
1) Come quickly
2) Take pity on us
3) Fill us every morning with your unfailing love
4) Let your gladness be greater then our misery
5) Replace the evil years with good
6) Let us see your glory – again
7) Let our children see your glory also
8) Make God’s approval be upon us
9) May our efforts be very successful

Psalms 27:13-14 (NLT) 27:13 Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

Living in the realm of faith is an interesting journey that even David struggled with. In one Psalm he is dealing with his woes in life and the next he is reminding himself that God in control and will accomplish everything He said He would. The difficulty lies in the fact that we don’t see the answers in our timetable. God’s timetable is always better and its always at the right time. In the meantime – David encourages himself and us to be brave and to be courageous and to wait patiently for the Lord. If it we’re easy it wouldn’t be called faith. It is hard. It does take work but its results are worth it.

Numbers 1:54 (NLT) So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Numbers 2:34 (NLT) So the people of Israel did everything as the LORD had commanded Moses. Each clan and family set up camp and marched under their banners exactly as the LORD had instructed them.

No greater thing can be said of any of us then this – we just did what God asked us to do. Obedience is that which makes God’s heart very glad and it’s what opens up the gate to receiving the blessings of the Lord. We all struggle with this at times and we end up in difficult places. I know this because I speak from experience. I’ve walked with the Lord for a lot of years. For the most part – I think I have been obedient. But there are times when heart did rebel and I did do some things that I’m not proud of. I like the fact that God allows “do-overs.” His grace and mercy is extended to you and me to start afresh and to try again. When I get to the end of my life – I want it to be said, “He followed Jesus with his whole heart.” It is then that I know that my life will have counted for something and that I was a success here on earth.

Leviticus 26:3-12 (NLT) 26:3 “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. 5 Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. 6 “I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. 7 In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword. 9 “I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. 10 You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! 11 I will live among you, and I will not despise you. 12 I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.

Most people like these verses because they come with promises like victory, surplus, prosperity, etc. These are all wonderful things that God wants to bring our way. His only requirement is found in v.3 with the word “if.” “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands.” This little word hinges what can be and what won’t be. It is the means to access the blessings of God in our lives. “If” we do the things that God requires - we will be blessed and “if” we don’t we will receive curses instead. I definitely want to be part of the “if” factor of doing what God wants me to do. It is then, and only then that I will receive the blessings of the Lord.