Sun.’s Devo - The Blessings and the Curses

Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Luke 11:14-36; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 12:18 Reading the blessings makes you smile and feel so loved and protected. You see the desire of a loving Father to give the very best he has created to his children. I’m not going to list all the blessings of obedience, but they are enough to make you scratch your head and ask, “who would not want to obey the Lord and enjoy these blessings?” *** When I read the curses, I see how we have fallen into that category as a nation. But, I am seeing and feeling the shift away from the curses and onto the road that leads to the blessings. *** We know that Israel did not continue to follow the Lord and all these curses fell on them. We also know that scripture assures us that they will return to the Lord and enjoy the blessings in the end. We pray that is soon. *** In Luke, Jesus cast out the demon that had made the man mute. The religious leaders had to have an explanation of how he could do this, so they said he did it by the power of Beelzebub, a prince of demons. *** Jesus explained that a kingdom divided against itself would not be able to stand. He asked them how their sons cast out demons. Their sons would grow up and one day judge them. But, if he cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to earth. That would mean that someone stronger than who is over the earth had come to earth to take over. Satan was prince of the world until Jesus came and began knocking down his wall of defense. Jesus took away Satan’s protection and had begun ravaging his stronghold. *** Jesus explained that when demons were cast out they would roam the earth looking for a body to occupy. If they couldn’t find one that would go back to where they were cast out and see if it was still unoccupied. If that person had’t filled the evil with good, then the demon could reenter and bring seven more demons with it. Then the person would be worse off than it was before. *** Jesus reminded them of the way the Gentiles (the people of Nineveh, and the queen of Sheba) repented when they heard the truth. They would one day judge the Jews for rejecting The Truth when it came to them. *** Jesus talked to them about how they “saw.” If they were opened to truth, then it lit up their hearts to receive more truth. If they were closed to truth, then their hearts would have not light. *** Lord, may we have hearts full of light and discernment. May we see the truth and embrace it. May we see Satan’s kingdom crumble and your kingdom established on earth.