Deuteronomy 5:28-29 (ESV)
28 “And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!
If the Israelites obeyed God, they would be blessed and dwell in the land that God was giving to them forever. No one wanted them to succeed more than God. He said to Moses, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and keep all my commandments.” Why did God want them to obey? One reason was because He is their Creator and deserves their loyalty. In the passage above, however, God gives another reason—He wanted things to go well with them and their children.
It is wonderful to know that God cares so much for His people. He always wants them to succeed so that He can bless them and cause them to prosper. It is good to know that God’s feelings for man have never wavered. He wants to bless everyone, not just from a physical standpoint, but, more importantly, spiritually. He wants everyone to be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
We know Peter was right about this, not only because he wrote by inspiration, but because of God’s historical record. He wants man to be saved so badly that He was willing to sacrifice His one and only Son to make it possible. When we think of how lowly we are compared to God, it is truly amazing that He cares for us so much. David was in awe of this truth (Psalm 8:3-5), and we should be too.
Every morning when we get out of bed, we know that God is on our side. He wants us to have a good day, especially as it relates to fighting off the attacks of the devil. He wants us to succeed in being the best Christians we can be because He wants things to go well with us.
Let us do our part by fearing God and keeping His commandments. This requirement of obedience is made necessary by the very nature of God. He did not tell the Israelites of old that He would bless them no matter what. He revealed that He had a great desire for them to do the right thing so that it would go well with them, which indicates that He would only bless them if they were faithful.
Just knowing that God wants to bless us does not mean that it will happen. We must keep the commandments that God gives us. Yes, from a physical standpoint, God blesses the just and the unjust indiscriminately (Matthew 5:45), but spiritual blessings are poured out only upon those willing to fear and obey Him. This does not mean we must live sinless lives, for we all fall short from time to time (Romans 3:23). It does, however, mean that there should be no command from God that we are not willing to keep.
God is the same today as He was yesterday (Hebrews 13:8), and while we are under a much better covenant than previously, He still demands that we keep all His commandments. Do that, and it will go well with you.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.