We Must Obey God's Laws to Experience Health

My son, do not forget my law (word of God) but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. ---Proverbs 3:1,2

God knows how man’s body is created and what is good and what is bad for it. God also knows man’s sinful nature and what is good for it. For this reason, He has provided mankind with an instruction book that we call the Bible. God’s desire is that we follow His instructions so that we can live all the life He has given to us and to live it in peace.

We are responsible to read, understand to put into action what God says. Deuteronomy 28:58 and 59 says, “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, The Lord your God, then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses.” God said this, I didn’t. I would, however, like to explain what this verse implies.

First of all we must revere and consider God’s sovereign position as the Creator of the Universe and the designer of all laws of nature as well as God’s laws. Somehow, today we flippantly regard God as a buddy, someone who will look after us no matter what we do or say. God is our friend and loves us very much, but He has also put into motion laws that even He cannot break. So, just as a seed that is planted in the ground and watered will grow to a plant and bear fruit; so will our actions (the seed) grow and bear fruit whether good or bad.

So, in the Deuteronomy verses, God is saying, if you don’t obey my words and laws, bad things will happen to you. Now, I also want to clarify this. God has NO bad thing in His heaven or in His possession to give you or put on you. However, He can lift His hand of protection that covers you when you DO NOT obey God’s law. Imagine an umbrella that we use to keep the rain from getting us wet. When we become a child of God, we immediately step into the Kingdom of God and are in a new spiritual setting. If we could use the umbrella as an illustration, God places a protective umbrella over us to shield us from the enemy who wants to kill, steal and destroy you. That umbrella stays as long as you obey His laws and love and revere Him. If you disobey God, then the umbrella starts to slide off and opens your life up to the enemy of your soul.

The phrase “then the Lord will bring …. Extraordinary plagues….and serious and prolongs sicknesses” also needs clarification. The original language says then the Lord will “allow” these terrible things to happen. God doesn’t have sickness near Him because it means death or distress to one of His children. But just as a parent has to let a child experience difficult consequences, so does God when His children don’t obey. But it isn’t coming from God, it is coming from Satan.

Tomorrow, I will talk more about how God views disobedience. But remember this from Proverbs 4:10, “Hear, my son, and receive my sayings and the years of your life will be many.”

Confession: My desire, Father, is to learn of your laws and statutes and have the ability to obey. I love you and want to please you. Forgive me when I have missed your mark of excellence for me.