Deuteronomy 28:58 “If you are not careful to do 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 on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the Lord will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God. And as the Lord took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the Lord will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see. And the Lord will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”
We should never take for granted grace and mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ. You can read the expectations of Israel to follow and obey all that God had recorded in His word. Anything short of meeting these expectations came with severe consequences not only to the hearer but also to their offspring. Grace and mercy do not eliminate the expectation of humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, praising, worshiping, following, trusting, and obeying God. In God’s grace, mercy, and love demonstrated in “for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He wants none to perish and reaches out to everyone with the same Grace and Mercy and Love. He calls us to Himself, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me.” It is up to each individual to open the door to their heart, mind, and soul and desire God’s forgiveness, refuge, peace, power, comfort, strength, joy and rest.
God stands at our hearts door and says I love you, I sent my Son to redeem you, I want to adopt you as my child, I want to forgive you, I want you to live with Me forever in eternity, I want to give you a new heart, I want to give you my Holy Spirit to reside in you to guide and direct your life, I want to give you purpose and meaning in this life, I want to shine My light in you, I want to take away all of your worries, I want you to have an abundant life, I want to give you wisdom and understanding, I want to give you hope, I want to carry your burdens…..
Can you understand the reason why His wrath, anger, and fury will be unleashed on those who reject His Grace, Mercy, and Love? Choosing to reject, neglect, or being complacent with such a great gift has eternal consequences. “Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life”