Attention!

I was reading in Deuteronomy chapter 28 this morning and I read a verse that I have heard quoted many times, which is verse 13.  This is a verse that I have quoted many times to encourage myself or others.  It says And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. NKJV.  

This morning as I was reading this verse it hit me, that most of us quote this verse and put a period after and not be beneath.   This verse goes on to say if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.  There is a condition or requirement for each of us in order for the first part of this verse to happen.   In the Webster’s the word heed means to pay attention to or take notice of.  So God is telling us to pay attention to His commandments.  The next part of that verse say and are careful to observe them.  In the Webster’s the word careful means done with or showing thought and attention.  The word observe means to fulfill or abide by, conform to, pay attention to.  What stood out to me in the definitions of these words was all 3 words had to do with our attention.   In this verse God isn’t asking us to do us to heed His Commandments and carefully observe them but the scripture says, which I command you today.  

Sometimes we just want the reward without the work or commitment to God.  We want to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath without doing our part as commanded by God in this verse.  We often wonder why our ministry is not growing like we want or why we feel unfulfilled in our purpose, and it’s because we have taken our attention off God and His Commandments.  We live in a society that is not only condoning what God calls sin but encouraging it, and since we don’t want to offend anyone we let things slide.  If we are not careful we will begin to let things slide in our own lives, because of our need to please others,  and we take our attention off God.  The world we live in today needs Christians that have their attention on God.  We need Christians who can stand up and be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath because they are so focused on God, that He will fulfill this verse.  God is always going to keep His Word to us, but we have to do what is required of us.  We keep our attention on God by staying in His Word and in prayer.  When we allow these two things to slip in our lives we are taking our attention off God.

Thank you for reading and please share!