Understanding Curses & Blessings Pt 6, Ep 2-11
Welcome Back! I am your host Dawn Simmons and in this episode of Conquering Our Unseen Enemies we are going to be continuing our discussion on Blessings. We have already discussed what is a curse and what is a blessing. We reviewed Deuteronomy 28 discussing obedience and disobedience relating to blessings and curses, we discussed events or occurrences that suggest or reveal a curse may be operating in our lives.
Last week we talked about the ultimate Blessing we have and that is what Jesus did for us in the cross, but let’s go a different direction and talk about what the Old Testament begins to reveal to us about God's purpose in Blessings We will start by looking at the definition of a blessing and then reviewing Deuteronomy 28.
The definition of a blessing is: God's favor and protection. Just seeing that secular definition it's pretty clear that there are a lot of uses of the word blessing that are not actually a "blessing" I hear people all the time say "oh that was a blessing" and what they are referencing has nothing to do with God, God's plan or anything received as a result of their relationship with the Lord which would by it's very nature produce favor and protection. So understand that when we use the word "blessing" we need to understand what it is we are actually saying.
Now let's look at what God tells us is a blessing. Deuteronomy 28: 1-15:
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
In those scriptures we see that the blessings are conditional. He tells us that in verses 1-2. These conditions are where many people today and throughout history have had an issue. Nobody wants to hear the word "Obey" anymore. I think it has disappeared from wedding vows and even parents over these last few generations don't seem to want to attach their children to needing to Obey what they say. In these 2 verses the Lord says it twice, once in each verse, so I think He is wanting to make sure we understand that it is part of the requirement to receive His blessings.
The rest of the verses talk about the blessings themselves. What we can expect from God if we in fact do the one thing he asks, obey. When you see all of the benefits, it certainly seems like we are getting the better end of the deal. What the enemy wants to do however is prevent us from receiving those blessings and instead block the blessings and position us to fall under a curse.
I want to read a little bit more about what God has to say about blessing, this is from Chapter 30, so just follow along with me here. This is Deuteronomy Chapter 30, all of Chapter 30 and I am reading out of NIV.
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, 2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, (Matthew 22:27, the Greatest Commandment) 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a] and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. 5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, 10 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.
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So let's go back and talk about that word "Obey". What is God asking of us? It's almost so simple it's unbelievable. Love the Lord, obey His commands – now His commands are those things designed to keep us out of trouble, to keep us aligned with Him, keep us focused on what is right and true. Remove any idols and put our relationship with the Lord first.
Let's take a minute to look at the commands God is referencing back in Deuteronomy 28. The commands he gives them start in Deuteronomy 4 and continue through 28. So let's think back to last week and how the biggest blessing we have is in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I told you about being in Jerusalem where I witnessed those still practicing and living by these very laws, others living for themselves and them a small portion of those living under the fulfillment of those laws through Jesus. Keeping all of those laws was impossible, but for those of us in Jesus, it is entirely possible.
When I saw the Orthodox Jews is Jerusalem still working to live by those laws, I saw a remnant of people that had a dedication to God that most people today cannot match. Most people today chose to not live by any commands let alone hundreds. The Jewish nation may not accept Jesus as a whole, but many of them have remained faithful in their attempt to Obey their God, our God. Christians have far less to "Obey" and we struggle.
Next week we are going to address how to break Curses and move into Blessings, but I want to take a few minutes now to make an announcement somewhat but talk to you about "Obey"
For us to "Obey" is not as difficult as we make it out to be. There are some basics yes, that once we are saved, some basic beliefs we live our lives by that are a general standard, even non-believers will agree that following standards like the 10 commandments are overall a good idea. Obey, however, goes further than that because in Obey we find out how to align ourselves with the Lord where He can reveal his best plan in our lives.
My work has been focused in this are for the last almost 6 years now and that's where the announcement comes in. What I have been teaching people ties to how we Obey the Lord to live that John 10:10 life Jesus promised us. It is what this podcast is about.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
I have taken everything the Lord taught be, all the principles I have been teaching others, and was able to write a book and a Study Guide. It's called, Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice. In it, I discuss a process the Lord taught me called SALO, it is Stop, Ask, Listen and Obey, our discussion for today. To Obey is to be blessed and it will make our lives better. In the book it discussed how to use this SALO process to be able to hear what the Holy Spirit is guiding you toward, to know what He wants from us. It will take you from uncertainty in your life to security in being able to hear from the Lord. It has changed so many lives. Listen at the end and I'll tell you about some giveaway options.
Ok, next week we are going to finish up this series and talk about how to break any curses and move into blessings.
I hope this has been helpful to you. If you know anyone who is experiencing any of the issues, please share this podcast. Addressing these demonic influences and getting them out of our lives is life changing if we are willing.
As always let’s recap Top Show Points:
Continuing our discussion on Blessings and Curses, this week focused on Blessing
The definition of a blessing is: God's favor and protection.
Deuteronomy 28: 1-15: God's conditional: If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
Deuteronomy Chapter 30
when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, (Matthew 22:27, the Greatest Commandment) 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a
"Obey". What is God asking of us? It's almost so simple it's unbelievable. Love the Lord, obey His commands – now His commands are those things designed to keep us out of trouble, to keep us aligned with Him
Commands begin in Deuteronomy 4-28
Jesus was the fulfillment of the commands
People struggle to Obey not fully understanding what it truly means to Obey
Discussed Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice. SALO process
Next week discussing how to break curses and move in to Blessings.
We encourage you:
· To have an active Bible reading plan, it will be helpful in gaining wisdom and understanding and it is required for the gift of spiritual discernment
· Also, we just dropped a video from our Turkey travels on our YouTube Channel. It is on Ephesus, the 7th of the 7 churches of the book of Revelation series. Check it out!
· Our Journals can be found on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/mountainmovermedia-dawnsimmons
· I am doing a giveaway of the Book and StudyGuide for Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice. If you want to be included in the random drawing each week then send us an email to contact@conqueringourunseenenemies.com and put in the Subject Line: "LC" In the email let us know where you want the books to be sent with a name as well.
· If you want to purchase the book, here is the information, it can be found on Amazon. The Study Guide should be available next week from what the publisher is telling me.
https://a.co/d/6Y3Ewly
Next week we will conclude our series "Understanding Blessings and Curses". I have enjoyed our time this week and look forward to spending time with you again next week!
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