Remember when life was simple? “If you eat your vegetables, then you can have desert.” “Raise your hand to be recognized.” “Treat others well and they will treat you well.” The simplicity of that time could be boiled down to this axiom…Follow the rules and get the rewards.
For many people, Deuteronomy chapter 28 seems to awaken that axiom. This chapter seems to give us something tangible, do-able and controllable. It appears to make life simple again.
But life was never really that simple. It just seemed that simple.
Now before you think I’m casting doubt on God’s Word, let me explain. It is important that we do the right things. It is important that we obey God. And God does bless those who are obedient to follow His commands.
But the theme of this chapter (and all of Scripture) is not, “Put the right quarter in the right slot and you will get the right gum ball out.” It’s not about doing the right things in order to get the right rewards. It’s really about doing the right things out of a right relationship…which is it’s own reward. In other words, it’s not about the doing, it’s about the devotion. (John 15:4)
It’s about a feed back loop. Devotion leads to demonstration. This deepens devotion, which in turn multiplies demonstration, etc. You can see how this applies to a relationship with God and with others in Matthew 22:36-40. By the way, this is also fitting for marriage.
So ask yourself this question, “Am I doing things for God out of devotion or demand?”