Are You Blessed or Cursed? As a Christian, I have had many opportunities to ask this question, in my own life.
The Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:2:
“All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.“
I have had times of want and times of plenty. The times of plenty are desired and longed for, yet want and trouble can appear in a moment.
The secret to surviving both is our attitude and actions. We all experience trouble, how do we react? Why is it happening to us?
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20: 5-6)
If you feel you are cursed or blessed, it may a generational condition. In my family, my Dad had an accident as a young man and a friend of his died.
In my life, I caused an accident, (drunk driving), that caused a woman to die. I do not know about earlier generations, but I accepted Christ, and believe, I have stopped the curse for my daughter and any future grandchildren.
In Deuteronomy 28, we find the causes of both blessings and curses. The first 14 verses tell us how to be blessed, the other 50+ verses how to be cursed.
Deuteronomy 28: 15.
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:”
Deuteronomy 28: 58.
“If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59. Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.”
The curses are many and quite harsh. It is easy to get on the curses list. Refusing to listen to and obey the Lord.
On the other hand, it is easy to claim and live with blessings.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 World English Bible
“It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that Yahweh your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth:
and all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.
You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.
You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.
Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed.
You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out.
Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways.
Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to; and he will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you; if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways.
All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Yahweh; and they shall be afraid of you.
Yahweh will make you plenteous for good, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.
Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, and you shall not borrow.
Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],
and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”
Obedience…. So easy it is hard. Well worth the effort though.
Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved
We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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