Destruction or prosperity

Deuteronomy chapter 28 has an entire, lengthy, section on curses God would bestow upon the Israelites who were disobedient to him.

Those curses included sudden ruin, plague, drought, defeat by enemies, kidnapped family and stolen goods.

However, later God told his people that if they changed their ways and came back to him, "The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

We all hear, "Why me?" When events in life are tragic, we all wonder why it has happened to us. When it's a Christian, God always has a reason for the bad. However, many people who aren't Christians don't understand why their lives just don't seem to work out, no matter how hard they try.

It's because they are rebelling against God. He can't bless them when they aren't following their creator. The biggest problem is people don't want to give up doing what they want to do, even if it comes with horrible consequences. However, it's just not an option to go our own way and still be blessed.

"When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, 'I will be safe even though I persist in going my own way.' This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him..."

Everyone has a choice between destruction or prosperity. Some might think that doesn't make sense. There are non-Christians our there who are very wealthy - but they are never satisfied, and they still have problems. They don't have peace at heart. There are also Christians out there who are very poor, but they are always prosperous in their hearts. They have peace and joy and wealth that is beyond monetary value.

Destruction or prosperity? Your life or God's life for you? It's as simple as that.