Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time (Deuteronomy 4:39-40).
The blessings of God are not automatic. They are conditioned upon our obedience. Israel was promised untold blessings in the land of Canaan. But the Father was very clear with them that if they disobeyed, the curse would come upon them.
We have a tendency to get slack when things are going well and the outward pressure reduces. Don’t yield to that! Keep yourself stirred up in God all the times.
Over the years I’ve watched people get slack with the Word, with meeting together with other believers in church services, with meditating in the Word, and with their prayer life. For a while it seemed all was well, but eventually that slackness cost them dearly. It cost them in sickness, in financial loss, in their marriage, and sometimes with their children. So pay the price now to walk with God, or there could be an even greater price to pay for catering to the flesh and getting slack!
Keep yourself strong spiritually by staying in the Word and fellowshipping with other believers. Don’t compromise when things are going well! Notice what God told Israel in Deuteronomy 4:9 : Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
These are serious times and we need to give our attention daily to keeping ourselves attuned spiritually to the Father so that His voice is clear, and so that we’ll be well prepared for the days ahead.
Don’t be like the frog who decided to take a bath in the cool water of the black cauldron in the farmer’s yard. When the farmer lit a fire under it, the cold-blooded frog was unaware of the danger he was in until his blood was almost boiling. His temperature rose with the temperature of the water in the cauldron! Not paying attention cost the frog his life!
Walking closely with the Father pays rich dividends both now and in the life to come. Don’t compromise!