Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
These passages of scripture clearly delineate the natural, inevitable results of following either a right or a wrong course of action. Very great misunderstandings on these fundamental truths exist not only in the secular world, but also amongst many sincere Christians. Some people view God as waiting to punish the sinner for his or her wrong doing, while others erroneously believe that God deliberately blesses people to serve Him. The truth of the matter is that as free, intelligent, moral agents, we have the ability to reason from cause to effect, and thus make choices that can then affect our lives in the positive or in the negative. We must be very careful of the conclusions we draw about God's dealings with us, as His earth-born children.
The laws, precepts and institutions God has given us to live by are the parameters within which His blessings fall, and therefore any person or any nation that adheres to the teachings of the Bible, by staying within the precincts of those parameters, would inevitably be blessed. On the contrary, those who choose the other options for living, offered by a sinful course of action, would reap the natural results of wrong-doing, which ultimately are a very compromised life with unnecessary problems, diseases and heartaches. God does not do anything to the person per se, but rather the laws of cause and effect run their natural course.
The father of a good friend of mine was a very heavy chain smoker for all of his life and died prematurely as a result. God didn't do anything to him to cause his early demise; what took place is what the surgeon general has plainly stated on each pack of cigarettes for many years. This is what the Bible is alluding to when it compares the natural results of the principles of righteousness versus the principles of sin. Let's read:
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
When individuals and nations follow the teachings of God's word, there is absolutely no other result that can occur but blessings, for the laws and truths of the Bible are built upon eternal principles of righteousness, and are for the best interest of all created beings. This is what the scriptures plainly state. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
If we harbor a humble and teachable spirit, following the laws and instructions of the word of God by His grace, and living within the parameters of His blessings, then our lives would be enhanced greatly, and success will attend us everywhere we go. We therefore close with a promise to all people, nations and kingdoms:
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
May this be our experience each and every day. "Good night" and God bless!