obedience

Actually, what we are experiencing are the results of a principle that has been with us since Creation—the law of sowing and reaping: “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from the seeds sown from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).

There are countless scriptures in the Bible that warn us of the power of our words to dictate the direction of our lives. Even in the secular world, it doesn’t take much to see that those who speak positively seem to a have a life that follows, and the same is true for those who always speak negatively. You’ll notice those who say, “I get the flu every year,” do in fact get the flu every year! It’s no coincidence.

First of all, you must start being moved by faith. You can’t get anything accomplished as long as you allow fear and worry to dominate your thinking. Stop the negative flow by starting to think and talk what the Word of God says about your children instead of dwelling on the problems you see in their lives.

God will permit only what we permit. He has given us the right to choose—life or death, blessing or cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19). When God created man He created him in the image and likeness of God. Adam walked and talked with God and knew Him. God never required him to be sick to know Him. Adam never experienced sickness until he changed gods. Adam was the one who made the decision to disobey. He was not forced—he made the decision on his own.

Certainly the wording of certain scriptures, especially in the King James Version, has caused some to wonder if God is the One who inflicts sickness on us. For example, Deuteronomy 28:61 has been translated, “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.”

This can be difficult because the flesh has its own ideas! But Matthew 5:44 gives us a clear answer.

There is no question that it is God’s will for you to live long and strong on the earth. It’s a promise He makes to His people again and again!

If you’re a believer in Jesus, you don’t have to slowly deteriorate in your mind and body, walking hunched over, suffering from age-related ailments, and living under the care of others. You don’t have to die young!

The Word of God has promised you long life, strength and health all your days. And…He has also told us how.

Some people think it’s too hard to forgive certain offenses, or they believe they have a right to remain angry and bitter. But the truth is—forgiveness is a choice…and it is also a command.

God has two reasons why He requires us to forgive anyone and everyone:

Under the old covenant, the people of Israel were given dietary laws which outlined clean and unclean foods (Genesis 9:2-4; Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 7:23-27, 11:1-47, 17:10-16; Deuteronomy 14:3-21). Not only were these laws protective of their health, but they were also required to be obeyed in order to be in right-standing with God. If they obeyed, they were blessed; if they disobeyed, they came under the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 28).

It’s been said that rules without relationship equals rebellion. That’s the same message we find in Ephesians 6:4, which says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (AMP).