Embracing God's Blessings Through Obedience and Humility
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound truth that God is the source of all blessings, extending His grace not only to people but also to the inanimate objects that support our lives. We began by reflecting on the story of Garrett A. Morgan, whose invention of the traffic signal continues to bless us today. This serves as a reminder of how God can use our talents and ideas to bring blessings to the world. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses speaks to the Israelites, offering them a blueprint for a blessed life through obedience to God's commands. The chapter contrasts the blessings of obedience with the curses of disobedience, emphasizing that our true challenge is not external forces but our own choices.
The imagery of the camel, used to illustrate the concept of "Barak" or blessing, teaches us about submission and obedience. Just as the camel must kneel to receive its load, we too must humble ourselves before God to receive His blessings. This act of submission is not about losing but gaining—gaining refreshment, strength, and the ability to carry the blessings God bestows upon us. The journey of the camel mirrors our spiritual journey, where God sometimes allows us to experience discomfort to realign us with His will and purpose.
Moses reminds us that God blesses our "basket and kneading bowl," symbolizing the abundance and provision God offers when we prioritize Him. The basket represents the harvest, and the kneading bowl signifies the preparation of sustenance. These blessings are not just about material wealth but about the quality and purpose of what God provides. We are called to use these blessings to honor God, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from Him.
Finally, we are cautioned against idolizing the blessings themselves. Our focus must remain on God, the giver of all good things. The story of the Israelites worshiping the golden calf serves as a warning against placing our trust in material possessions. True prosperity is found in a life centered on God, where we use our blessings to glorify Him and serve others.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's Blessings Extend Beyond People: God blesses not only individuals but also the tools and resources we use. This reminds us that everything we have is a gift from God, and we should use it to glorify Him. [09:29]
2. Submission Leads to Blessing: The imagery of the camel teaches us that submission and obedience to God are pathways to receiving His blessings. Just as the camel kneels to receive its load, we must humble ourselves before God to be truly blessed. [11:29]
3. Obedience Unlocks God's Provision: Deuteronomy 28 emphasizes that obedience to God's commands leads to a blessed life. By prioritizing God and His will, we open ourselves to His abundant provision and care. [18:10]
4. Quality Over Quantity: God's blessings are not just about material wealth but about the quality and purpose of what He provides. We are called to use our blessings to honor God and serve others, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from Him. [24:24]
5. Avoid Idolatry of Possessions: The story of the golden calf warns us against idolizing material possessions. Our focus must remain on God, the giver of all good things, ensuring that our trust and worship are directed towards Him alone. [31:47]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:58] - Acknowledgments and Prayer
[02:25] - Introduction to Deuteronomy 28
[03:56] - The God Who Blesses Things
[05:15] - Garrett Morgan's Invention
[06:23] - Blueprint for a Blessed Life
[09:29] - God Blesses Inanimate Objects
[10:25] - The Journey of the Camel
[12:30] - Stewardship of Blessings
[14:10] - The Eye of the Needle
[15:59] - Pain as a Pathway to Blessing
[18:10] - Obedience and Blessing
[20:57] - The Basket and Kneading Bowl
[22:28] - Quantity and Quality of Blessings
[24:24] - Remembering God's Deliverance
[26:15] - Blessing God with Our Blessings
[27:08] - The God Who Gives and Takes
[28:14] - Lessons from Joseph's Life
[29:58] - Avoiding Idolatry
[31:47] - The Golden Calf Warning
[34:38] - Testimonies of God's Power
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Deuteronomy 28:1-14
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Deuteronomy 28:5 mean when it says, "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl"? How does this relate to the blessings God provides? [03:56]
2. How does the story of Garrett A. Morgan's invention illustrate the idea that God blesses not only people but also inanimate objects? [05:15]
3. What is the significance of the camel's journey in the sermon, and how does it relate to the concept of blessing and submission? [10:25]
4. How does the sermon describe the contrast between the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience in Deuteronomy 28? [06:23]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does the imagery of the camel teach us about submission and obedience to God? How does this relate to receiving God's blessings? [11:29]
2. How does the sermon suggest that God uses discomfort or pain to realign us with His will and purpose? What might this look like in a believer's life? [15:59]
3. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between material possessions and true prosperity? How should believers view their blessings? [14:56]
4. How does the story of the Israelites and the golden calf serve as a warning against idolatry? What lessons can be drawn from this story? [31:47]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt blessed by something other than material wealth. How did you use that blessing to honor God? [24:24]
2. Consider the areas in your life where you might be resisting submission to God. What steps can you take to humble yourself and receive His blessings? [11:29]
3. How can you prioritize obedience to God's commands in your daily life to unlock His provision and care? What specific changes might you need to make? [18:10]
4. Identify any material possessions or achievements that you might be idolizing. How can you shift your focus back to God, the giver of all good things? [31:47]
5. Think about a recent challenge or discomfort you faced. How might God be using that experience to realign you with His will? What is one action you can take to embrace this realignment? [15:59]
6. How can you use the blessings in your life to serve others and glorify God? Identify one specific way you can do this in the coming week. [24:24]
7. Reflect on the story of Garrett A. Morgan. How can you use your talents and ideas to bring blessings to the world around you? [05:15]
Devotional
Day 1: Recognizing God's Blessings in All Things
God's blessings extend beyond just people; they encompass the tools and resources that support our lives. This understanding invites us to see everything we have as a gift from God, meant to glorify Him. The story of Garrett A. Morgan and his invention of the traffic signal serves as a reminder of how God can use our talents to bless the world. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses outlines the blessings of obedience, emphasizing that our choices, rather than external forces, determine our blessedness. By acknowledging that God blesses even inanimate objects, we are encouraged to use all that we have to honor Him. [09:29]
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers." (Psalm 24:1-2, ESV)
Reflection: What is one resource or tool in your life that you often take for granted? How can you use it today to glorify God?
Day 2: Submission as a Pathway to Blessing
The imagery of the camel teaches us that submission and obedience to God are pathways to receiving His blessings. Just as a camel kneels to receive its load, we must humble ourselves before God to be truly blessed. This act of submission is not about losing but gaining—gaining refreshment, strength, and the ability to carry the blessings God bestows upon us. Our spiritual journey, like the camel's, may involve discomfort, but it realigns us with God's will and purpose. [11:29]
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to kneel in submission to God? What steps can you take today to humble yourself before Him?
Day 3: Obedience Unlocks God's Provision
Deuteronomy 28 emphasizes that obedience to God's commands leads to a blessed life. By prioritizing God and His will, we open ourselves to His abundant provision and care. The chapter contrasts the blessings of obedience with the curses of disobedience, highlighting that our true challenge is not external forces but our own choices. When we choose to obey God, we align ourselves with His purpose and experience His blessings in our lives. [18:10]
"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth." (Deuteronomy 28:1, ESV)
Reflection: What is one command of God that you find challenging to obey? How can you take a step towards obedience today?
Day 4: Quality Over Quantity in God's Blessings
God's blessings are not just about material wealth but about the quality and purpose of what He provides. We are called to use our blessings to honor God and serve others, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from Him. The imagery of the "basket and kneading bowl" symbolizes the abundance and provision God offers when we prioritize Him. These blessings are meant to enrich our lives and the lives of others, not just in quantity but in quality. [24:24]
"Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it." (Proverbs 15:16, ESV)
Reflection: How can you shift your focus from seeking more to appreciating the quality of what God has already provided? What is one way you can use your current blessings to serve others today?
Day 5: Avoiding the Idolatry of Possessions
The story of the golden calf warns us against idolizing material possessions. Our focus must remain on God, the giver of all good things, ensuring that our trust and worship are directed towards Him alone. True prosperity is found in a life centered on God, where we use our blessings to glorify Him and serve others. By keeping our eyes on God, we avoid the trap of placing our trust in material wealth and instead find fulfillment in His presence. [31:47]
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)
Reflection: Is there a possession or material desire that has taken too much of your focus? How can you redirect your trust and worship towards God today?
Quotes
Deuteronomy he's speaking to a new generation the second generation if you will of Israelites and he gives them in this chapter chapter 28 of Deuteronomy he gives them the blueprint for the blessed life he tells them from verses 1 through verses 14 of chapter 28 he tells them how to be blessed and then he pivots he turns from verse 15 through verse 68 he tells them about the cursed life are y 'all with me this morning our issue as Israel's issue is not demons the devil or demonic activity our problem as humans and moreover as God's people our problem today is the holiness of the cursed life the God who blesses us is the same God that can curse us are y 'all with me here he gives from verses 1 through 14 he gives them the blueprint of the blessed life from verses 15 through 68 he gives them the the negative side if you will the cursed side if you choose to do things your own way [00:06:23]
I find it interesting that 14 verses are dedicated to blessings and you have 54 verses, that is, it's a large chapter, dedicated to cursing. I'm arguing that we are more amazed by the wrath of God than we are by the grace of God. The grace of God, somehow we think that God is supposed to do what he does for us. oftentimes when bad things happen, that's when God gets our attention. [00:08:23]
Herefore, I thought, perhaps like you, that God only blesses people. But reading this passage and taking it seriously, I see that God not only blesses, We serve a God who blesses inanimate objects. Are you all with me? He says, blessed. He starts out by saying, blessed. Blessed in the Hebraic tongue is the word Barak. Let me hear you say Barak. [00:09:29]
And the animal would succumb to the infliction of the pain. And the animal would bend its knees. So that the master could place on this beast. To burden his blessings. Please don't miss this now. The camel does not own the blessings. The camel is owned by its master. The blessings that is placed upon the camel is the master's possessions. [00:12:00]
God inflicts the pain for the animal to get low so that he can bless him. God sometimes inflicts the pain so that he can shift the weight. Sometimes God inflicts the pain so that he can give you refreshment. Sometimes God inflicts pain so that he can unburden you so that you can enter in his rest. [00:16:44]
I want my children blessed. I want my family blessed. I want my spouse blessed. I want my church blessed. I want to live the blessed life. I want to be blessed and highly favored. Well here it is. Chapter 21. I'm sorry. Chapter 28 says unto us the key to unlocking the blessings of God. [00:17:48]
unto the voice the Lord your God and then he repeats himself in verse 2 obey hearken to the voice of the Lord your God here's how we're blessed by obeying the word of God we don't have to struggle a bag for blessings we obey God and submit and surrender and worship and pray to him and God will make sure that we have everything that we need now he mentions these utensils this basket and meeting bowl this basket is a fruit basket you would have to go back up to chapter 26 and see that Moses instructs them that they are to bring the first fruit unto God and they are to bring those first fruits at the designated place that the man of God tells them indeed he is telling them to bring God's offering first why should I bring God's offering first because that which is first is blessed that which is first is best I bring my offering to God first why because if God did not bless the crop to grow I would not have any fruit to bring God blesses us and we bless him back with the acknowledgement that I wouldn't have what I have if it were not for you I wouldn't be able to give anything if you didn't give to me first [00:18:19]
God blesses every household with a basket and a bowl. No one has to be envious or jealous. Everyone has their own apparatus. But God makes sure that your house is blessed and that your house is blessed and that your house is blessed and that my house is blessed. God is so omnipotent that he can put fruit in all of our baskets. [00:22:19]
Prosperity does not belong to prosperity teachers. Prosperity, that term needs to be hijacked back by the church. We serve a God who blesses. He blesses us unapologetically. We don't have to do what some other reformations do. All we have to do, verse 1 and verse 2, obey the voice of the Lord our God. [00:24:59]
I don't bless the thing, I bless the God who gave me the thing. But also, not just can I bless God with it, can I bless God without it? Job says, naked I came into the world, and naked shall I leave. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job knew that the same God that gives is the same God that can take away. [00:26:15]
If you are going through a season of drought, if you're going through a season of subtraction, if you obey God, God will make sure that when he blesses you, you can open. He can open a door that no man can shut. He can close a door that no man can open. You obey God and watch God bless your life. [00:28:56]
Our community, our culture, we buy all we can and can all we buy and then we sit on the cane. Our focus must always be vertical. This is the angriest I ever saw Moses, Pastor. You remember back in Exodus, he is in the summit with God. And God says something strange there. God says, go down and get your people. [00:29:58]
They are down at the foot of the mountain. And worshiping this idol, this calf, this golden calf that they had constructed. That night when they left Egypt, Egypt wanted them to go so bad, they gave their anklets, their earrings, their bracelets, their rings, their necklaces. They just loaded Israel down with clothes and possessions to make them leave. [00:30:32]
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