Deuteronomy 15: Obedience Brings Blessing

However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. -Deut. 15:4-6 NIV

These words leap out at me as what might have been the promise at the founding of our country as well.  They could be the promise to us as individuals as well.  Obey The Lord and you will be blessed, nations, states, cities, individuals, all find blessings when they obey the Lord God, when hearts follow after him.  If you doubt that, look at the rise from the rubble of countries such as South Korea and the contrasting decline of North Korea; one where the majority of the population is now Christian and the other godless.

We can attribute the decline in our country and our own life to external factors, but the truth remains, God blesses those who follow his commands.  As Samuel said, "Obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Sam. 15:22). I pray we will be able to apply it in our lives in order to live lives where we will be blessed and can bless others, rather living lives of poverty and subjection.