The Longing of God

"Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!"

Deuteronomy 5:29

This verse shows the heart of God longs to bless those He greatly loves.  He is not a cosmic killjoy intent on ruining the lives of people, nor does He deny fun out of selfishness or spite.  We do not argue the fact on earth what goes up must come down, that there exists natural laws which govern gravity our opinion cannot influence.  It is fine for a scientist to tell us why the force of gravity as it stands is important to sustaining life on earth, but this provides little comfort for the one who falls down.

The force of gravity is not the only law God has established on earth.  There are spiritual laws the wise consider in addition to physical ones.  Deuteronomy 5:29 shows there is a clear correlation between obedience to God and blessing which endures.  The source of the problem with God's people was in their heart.  Their hearts were filled with sinful desires and affections, and they often resisted the Spirit of God.  God said through the prophet in Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"  God provided His law so people could begin to comprehend the lofty standards of God's righteousness and their inability to measure up.  God longed that people would fear and love Him, for such would obey Him.  For them it would be "well with them and with their children forever."

See what God also declared in Deuteronomy 7:9-11, "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; ¹⁰ and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. ¹¹ Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them."  People are hardly faithful or constant, but God is the faithful God who always keeps His Word for a thousand generations!  Since Jesus has come, the covenant of Law has been trumped with the new covenant established by the shed blood of Jesus.  This new covenant is personally appropriated by repentance for sin (having broken God's Law) and placing faith in Jesus Christ as LORD.  Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."  Those who love Him will obey!

In every heart there is a hunger for God's love and there are many poor imitations of the real thing.  God loves people and longs for opportunities to reveal this love to those joyful to receive it.  The fear and love of God will bring blessing to you and future generations by God's grace.  God is not a means to blessing for He is the blessing Himself:  there is no other.  He receives those who receive Him, and those who refuse Him He will repay to their face, though His heart is always to bless.