Ingredients are important in every recipe. The recipe for God’s blessings in life on this earth have ingredients as well. We all want to live blessed of God. But blessings are not automatic just because you are a child of God. The blessing was paid for by Jesus’ blood and you did nothing to deserve it. However, to appropriate the blessing in its fullness requires 2 important ingredients: willingness and obedience.
Isaiah 1:19 states “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.” GW
The ABP version of Isaiah 1:19 states it this way: “And if you should want and if you should listen to me the good things of the earth you shall eat”.
1.Willingness means to consent from the heart.
It means to choose to obey with a smile. We love it when our kids do their chores willingly rather than grudgingly. No matter what the Word of God has commanded, God wants us to grow up and do it willingly. When we know the heart of God is always to bless and increase us, it becomes easier to obey with willingness. However, usually obedience require us to be inconvenienced with our time or what we would prefer to do. Willingness to tithe means we have submitted the financial area of our life to God and trust Him to bring blessing. We are willing to serve or give or minister because we love God. He has given us life. We don’t obey to get something. Instead, we choose to do everything out of our love to God and trust in His goodness.
2. Obedience is both hearing and doing
Actually the word “obedience” indicates hearing intelligently and attentively. That is always the first step to obedience. What has God said in His Word or what has the Holy Spirit spoken to my heart to do? We don’t do things to get God’s approval and then expect his blessing. We hear what He wants first. Then we get understanding about when and how and where? Finally we act in obedience.
Finally, the blessing of eating the good of the land referred to a primarily agricultural culture. The good of the land meant your tummy was full and your sheep were healthy and your kids were strong. This is pretty much the same today. To the degree we both hear and obey God’s Word and do it willingly, we will eat the good of the land. Easier said than done, right? Is there an area of your life you aren’t eating the good of the land? That is the area to dig into God’s Word and find out if you are obeying willingly. There is your answer!
