God Is So Good

Deut. 28; Psalm 77; Proverbs 12:18

 

When you’re trying to motivate yourself to be good, what motivates you? Is your main motivation fear or hope? Do you make good choices because you’re afraid of what will happen to you if you don’t, or because you see all the benefits of doing what is right?

 

Too often we’re motivated by the downside and forget about the upside. But God does not want us thinking only about all the pain we’ll experience if we disobey. That tends to set up a false contrast between obeying and disobeying, where things go really badly if we disobey, but they’re bland and normal if we obey. The reality is that things go really badly if we disobey, but the blessings we’ll experience as we obey are tremendous, even if we have to endure hardship along the way!

 

All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God. – Deut. 28:2. Following this verse is a tremendous list of blessings—earthly blessings.

 

When Jesus came, he also encouraged his disciples to follow Him because of the blessings: "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. – Mark 10:29-30. You can see that he didn’t overlook the reality of pain. Disciples might need to leave some things and some important people who aren’t following Jesus behind for Jesus’ sake, and even endure persecution. But Jesus still pointed to the blessings, both in this life and in the life to come!

 

And in Revelation, God gives us a vision of the New Heaven and New Earth through John, and He describes His wonderful New Creation as a place where He will live among His people and take away every pain, every sorrow, every experience of death. These wonderful blessings are in store for those who pursue righteousness with Jesus to the end: He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. – Rev. 21:7. God has good things in store for us! Obedience does not just keep us out of trouble. Faithful obedience receives the blessings of God.

 

Father, help me to endure whatever cross I must bear for the joy You have set before me. Thank you that the pursuit of righteousness through Jesus Christ is worthwhile!