OVERWHELMING

And all these blessings shall come upon you and OVERTAKE you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God – Deuteronomy 28:2

The Almighty God specializes in blessings that OVERTAKE and OVERWHELM – unexpected blessings that outrun and outlive you! His blessings can be astounding, awesome, overwhelming and even flabbergasting! Yes, some blessings may appear simple, modest or unassuming, but others can daze the senses, amaze the mind, and come unannounced, suddenly and abundantly, they leave the mouth ajar! God wants you to enjoy overwhelming blessings, but such blessings come via the route of obedience to covenant commandments: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and OVERTAKE you…” (Dt.28:1-2a).

Many Israelites were filled with uncertainty and insecurity as they were about to enter the Promised Land. They perceived there were “giants” in the land, and many other unknowns. What would they face? What would happen? At this critical moment, Moses declared that God already had prepared blessings for them. He was ready to give them overwhelming favour and victory, but via the pathway of obedience. He made clear that their actions would determine whether or not they received these blessings. Just as we enjoy giving unexpected gifts to others, God also delights in giving you His gifts; and He can do it in unexpected ways. His blessings sometimes come in the midst of your everyday life: receiving an encouraging word from a friend when you felt confused or unexpected financial assistance in a real time of need. His blessings often come just when you need them most, which demonstrates His faithfulness to you.

These first fourteen verses detail the kind of blessings God’s people could expect IF they obeyed Him, followed by 53 verses describing the curses that would result from the wrong decisions. There were consequences to their actions, and blessings resulting if they made the right choices. The principles remain true: God still promises blessings, but only if we listen to and diligently obey Him. In fact, His blessings will be so overwhelming that they’ll take hold of us. We literally will be overtaken with blessings. That is how much He wants to bless us! Unfortunately, God is willing to bless some people today, who are not ready for it, because they have not assimilated the correct understanding concerning godly blessings.

The condition for accessing God’s treasury of blessings is diligent obedience to biblical instructions and covenant details. When you walk closely with the Lord, rivers of blessings will flow. Blessings from your obedience will also come to those who surround you. For example, Solomon enjoyed vast wealth during his reign but that was largely due to his father David’s earlier obedience. God promised Abraham that his obedience would bring blessings to all the families of the earth: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:2-3).

God longs to bless you. How willing are you to do all that He commands? Begin by committing your life to Him. Make Jesus your Lord. Fill your life with His Word. Seek the leading of His Spirit. Choose to obey Him; and see blessings overtake you!