Walk in My statutes and keep My commandments.

Leviticus 26:3-6, 14-16 “‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land. I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land.’” … “‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that shall waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you shall sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies shall eat it up.’”

The old covenant definitely carried a promise of temporal blessing as the commandments were kept. And there was a corresponding rising tide of discipline should they forget Him and His covenant. Over time they did indeed forget Him and His covenant, and eventually were swept out of the land as captives of another nation. What is amazing is the longsuffering mercy of the Lord and His many warning through the prophets, and His rebuilding of the nation after their captivity. His new covenant also shows us His great mercy, for He is always ready to receive us when we recognize our failings and turn to Him, Peter being a prime example. We so easily forget all that He has done; He never forgets us, and nothing can separate us from His love. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Thank You that you remember that we are but dust; thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit, who will invade every part of us as we allow Him! Come, Holy Spirit, we need Your wisdom and

Your power to know and keep Your commandments today.