March - Day 22

Deuteronomy 27-28 - God promises repeatedly and here again that he will bless the obedience of the Israelites.  This is a principle that is true about God that he blesses obedience.  The curse of sin will fall on those who disobey. Disobeying God is a display of a lack of fear or reverence for God.  If we fail to obey God, we open ourselves up to experience the full depravity of the world.  We remove ourselves from God's protection.

Psalm 69:1-18 - God has rescued me from the pit of my own sin.  Our sins are not hidden from God, so we might as well be honest with him so that he can rescue and redeem us.  He does this not because we deserve it because of his unfailing love. 

Matthew 27:45-56 - Jesus experienced the full wrath of God on our behalf.  The worst part was not the physical pain but the spiritual separation from God when Jesus took our sin on himself.  Because of his death and resurrection, we can be reconnected with God through faith in Jesus. The worst part about sin and hell is that is separates us from God - the only one who can satisfy our deepest desires of our heart.

Romans 14 - Regardless of if we live or die, the goal is to honor God.  We will all give an account of how we used the time he has given us.  Did we use it for ourselves, to build our own kingdoms, or did we use it for God to build his kingdom by helping others know and follow Jesus.  God's kingdom is not about earthly possessions, but about a life full of goodness, peace and joy that we experience through the Holy Spirit.  When we live this way, it will lead to gaining favor with God and people.  Let your conscience be your guide with things that have not been defined by scripture as right or wrong. Many times your conscience is actually the Holy Spirit leading you into what is right.