Is God Reigning In Your Life?

Deuteronomy 11:13-14
If you will only heed his every commandment that I am commanding you today—loving the Lord your God, and serving him with all your heart and with all your soul then he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil.

It is amazing how we are so quick to identify with the people of the book, the children of Israel, by saying, “We are blessed!” We are blessed in the city, blessed in the field, blessed when we come and when we go. We are quick to claim the blessings of being a “child of God” but we are slow to take on the responsibilities of being a child of God.

It’s interesting to watch this new show on MTV called, “The World's Strictest Parents.” It’s about the rebellious kids who love driving their parents crazy but it’s the parents who are already crazy because they have no rules and have let their kids pretty much do what they want to do. There is so much conflict between the parent and child that the parent(s) release them to go to the home of stricter parents. Typically, what happens is that what was lacking were some rules and guidelines. When the rebellious teens experience “tough love” the teen experiences some kind of breakthrough and goes back home with a greater appreciation and respect for their parents.

In many ways, we are like that rebellious teen-ager, we have been left to our own way of doing things and it has gotten us nowhere. God has given us an invitation to stay at his house but in his house he has rules. It appears that God is boring because he has rules but the reality is that there is more freedom in God’s house than where we are living in bondage to our freedom. We say we love God but in reality we do not adhere to any rules. God has given us His Word for our good but He does not force us to live with Him. In Deuteronomy 10:13 God says, “I am giving you these commandments for your own well being.”

The essence of God’s commandments can be summarized like this:

1. Love the Lord your God. Many of us say we love God with our lips but our hearts are far from him. Jesus said, “If you love me then keep my commandments.” When you love someone you do what they ask you to do especially if it’s for your well being. God is never going to tell you to do anything that will hurt you.

2. Serve Him with all your heart. When you love your job nobody has to walk behind you to make sure you do it. The same with God, when you love Him nobody has to beg you to serve Him. When you help those who cannot help themselves then you are serving God. Jesus said, “When you do unto the least of these you also have done unto me. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

3. Then He will give you early rain and late rain. Early rain is the rain you need to get your seed to grow, later rain is what you need to get the plant to keep on growing. Most people only obey God until the first rain and then stop obeying then complain that it’s not raining anymore. It’s not raining because God is not reigning. It only rains when you let God reign by obeying His commandments. You can’t get the blessings of being a child of God if you don’t accept the responsibilities of being a child of God.

Dear God, I submit to your authority over my life. My life is not my own. I am committed to keep all of your commandments. I’m not going to add anything or take anything away. Your Word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my pathway. Thank you for reigning and for letting it Rain on field.

In Jesus Name,
Amen