Tuesday, March 1, 2011

It's a Blessing. And a Curse.

I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse.
Deuteronomy 11:26
In this verse, God tells us that the decision to accept His Word is a blessing and a curse. The blessing side of that is easy to understand. When we accept God's Word we enter into a life where there is nothing to fear, where we are loved beyond imagination, and where there is no death, only life everlasting. How can any of that be considered a curse?

Maybe 'curse' is too strong a word. Maybe 'commitment' or 'dedication' would be better. When we accept God's Word, we commit to living our lives as He wants us to. We may have to give up some things, or change some aspects of our lives. We may be ridiculed by those around us, or worse. But we must remain dedicated to God. It not, if we don't try to keep His commandments, if we don't declare and pass on our faith, if we don't honor God as we should, then we may expect to be cursed.

Do we really have a God who would curse us if we turn away from Him? Of course not. When we turn away from God, we only curse ourselves. By turning away from Him, we shut ourselves off from His blessings, His love, and ultimately His presence. What better description of Hell is there than to be separated from God for all eternity? Don't let that happen to you. Accept the blessing. Dedicate yourself to your faith. Don't be cursed.


2 comments:

  1. I associate this "blessing and curse" with with highs and lows in our life. It is because of the "curse" that we are able to see the blessings. Even the joy of having children can be seen as a "blessing and a curse." I've never felt as a more inapt human being until I had children of my own, and yet that "ineptitude" has made me grow, and challenged me to a be a better parent.

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  2. Absolutely. If we don't experience the lows we can't appreciate the highs. And it's only in the dark that we can see the stars :)

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