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The Real Deal

“ ‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. “ ‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. “ ‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭26:3-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These are some BIG promises... think about it. Who wouldn't want a life promised to be safe from evil people and wild animals? A life so full that you're still enjoying the benefits from last year when you have to make accommodations for more stuff.
A life free from strife and touched with favor. Sounds pretty good to me!
This is what God promised the Israelites and in return asked them to honor His decrees and follow His commands. Yet, they couldn't do it. If you're familiar with the Bible you know that not long after the Israelites deserted God and their lives were shattered as a result.

We are not so different today. How short sighted are we! Working so hard to find that plastic ring in the cereal box when God is offering us the real deal from an exclusive high end store.
Why do we give in to those simple and short lasting sinful desires instead of waiting for the fulfillment of His major life changing promises?
The struggle is real and it's hard.
I'm sure thats why Paul said “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Without Christ, we are not strong enough to wait for the life God has for us.
Stop looking so hard for the plastic ring. Find the One who wants to give you the real one instead.


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