God's Wisdom In A Nutshell

Hello,

Today I’d like to talk to you about the conditional blessings of God.

It’s funny when you talk to Christians, there is a set that believes God is all good, doesn’t test us, discipline us and always blesses us because He is all loving and forgiving. Then there is the other set who understands and may have experienced the fact that obedience to God’s Word is necessary to bring us the desires of our heart and increased blessings.

I will give you some examples of conditional blessings that I have found in Scripture:

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

The definition of “delight” is to please greatly. So this verse is telling us that in order to receive the desires of our heart, we must delight ourselves in the ways of the Lord by finding peace, contentment and fulfillment within His teachings. When we do this our desires actually change from the superficial to the eternal where there is lasting joy.

(Malachi 3:10)

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this says the Lord Almighty and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out for you so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

This verse tells us to bring our 10% tithe into God’s churches in order to sustain them, and God will more than sustain us.

Exodus 15:26
“If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

I will give you a commentary of a well know Biblical Scholar for this explanation so that you truly believe obedience to God is paramount to conditional blessings!

Matthew Henry Commentary
15:22-27 In the wilderness of Shur the Israelites had no water. At Marah they had water, but it was bitter; so that they could not drink it. God can make bitter to us that from which we promise ourselves most, and often does so in the wilderness of this world, that our wants, and disappointments in the creature, may drive us to the Creator, in whose favour alone true comfort is to be had. In this distress the people fretted, and quarrelled with Moses. Hypocrites may show high affections, and appear earnest in religious exercises, but in the time of temptation they fall away. Even true believers, in seasons of sharp trial, will be tempted to fret, distrust, and murmur. But in every trial we should cast our care upon the Lord, and pour out our hearts before him. We shall then find that a submissive will, a peaceful conscience, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, will render the bitterest trial tolerable, yea, pleasant. Moses did what the people had neglected to do; he cried unto the Lord. And God provided graciously for them. He directed Moses to a tree which he cast into the waters, when, at once, they were made sweet. Some make this tree typical of the cross of Christ, which sweetens the bitter waters of affliction to all the faithful, and enables them to rejoice in tribulation. But a rebellious Israelite shall fare no better than a rebellious Egyptian. The threatening is implied only, the promise is expressed. God is the great Physician. If we are kept well, it is he that keeps us; if we are made well, it is he that recovers us. He is our life and the length of our days. Let us not forget that we are kept from destruction, and delivered from our enemies, to be the Lord’s servants. At Elim they had good water, and enough of it. Though God may, for a time, order his people to encamp by the bitter waters of Marah, that shall not always be their lot. Let us not faint at tribulations.

“Worship the Lord your God, and His blessings will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.”(Exodus 23:25)

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) He shall bless thy bread, and thy water—i.e., all the food, whether meat or drink, on which they subsisted. It is God’s blessing which makes food healthful to us.
Take sickness away.—Half the sicknesses from which men suffer are directly caused by sin, and would disappear if men led godly, righteous, and sober lives. Others, as plague and pestilence, are scourges sent by God to punish those who have offended Him. If Israel had walked in God’s ways, He would have preserved them from sicknesses of all kinds by a miraculous interposition.

Isaiah 54:17

“But in that coming day, no weapon formed against you will prosper and all those who tell lies in court will be brought to justice, these things can be enjoyed by servants of the Lord, their vindication will come from me. I the Lord have spoken!”

Matthew Henry commentary on this verse: The day is coming when God will reckon with wicked men for their hard speeches, Jude 1:15. Security and final victory are the heritage of each faithful servant of the Lord. The righteousness by which they are justified, and the grace by which they are sanctified, are the gift of God, and the effect of his special love. Let us beseech him to sanctify our souls, and to employ us in his service.

God is our all loving father. But just as an earthly father will correct his children and hold off on giving gifts to disobedient children, the Lord will do the same. Those that love the Lord will do his will and in return will be rewarded with conditional blessings.

(John 14:23)

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my Words…”

If God makes His home with us you can be sure you will have health, enough money to take care of your needs and peace in your soul. It’s God’s truth!

Have a great week of obedience to the Lord!

Lisa