I'm so grateful that I realized the power of the Bible early in my journey. I love making God's word personal as I read it. Never a cynic, I intuitively understood that I would be helped as an artist if I could grasp what God required of me and what He promised to bless. Who doesn't love rewards and incentives? So what does the Bible say are some blesssings for obedience?
Christianity is unique. Our identity is hidden in Jesus. We do not have to earn His love to be blessed. He loves us right now as much as He ever will. He IS love.
All that is required of us is to trust Him and the victory He won for us on the cross. Then if we remain, or abide, in Him, by persisting in faith and action, we can entertain the reasonable expectation of seeing His many promises of blessing come to pass in our lives.
Forgiven of our sins, which separate us from Him, we can boldly approach God for all we need as artists. The blessings for obedience begin with this understanding.
I'm not the best at memorizing His word, but that is not for a lack of trying. I've learned to not worry if I don't have perfect recall. You don't have to either. The Holy Spirit's role is to remind you of His words as you navigate the twists and turns of life. He then leaves obedience up to us. When we do take Him at His word, life becomes so blessed, more wonderful than anything we could ever have imagined!
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4
The Bible has hundreds of promises of blessings for obedience and it would be beyond the scope of this page to explore them all. My favorite list of blessings is found in Deuteronomy 28. Just wrapping my mind around these and believing them would release enough hope for a lifetime! Study them yourself and ask God to reveal even more than I write here. I am merely summarizing them to make it plain to you that God intends to overwhelm us with His goodness, if we will but heed His voice and walk in His ways.
As you read these, let your imagination soar with hope for an amazing, blessed future!
My Summary of Blessing for Obedience for Artists according to Deuteronomy 28
• Everywhere you go, God will elevate you and make an example of you. He will shine His spot light on you making it plain to all who observe that you are blessed by Him. That is a phenomenal blessing for obedience! No longer do you have to worry about your labor in art being appreciated. If you obey Him, He will find places for your work to be a blessing. He will do more—everything about your life will sparkle with His blessing. This does not mean that you will not go through seasons that are dark and challenging. What is promised is that if you persevere, you will come out on the other side of your trials, blessed! • Your loved ones will be so blessed that concern for them will not cloud your creativity. Instead, with with a heart full of gratitude and joy because of their prosperity, you can enjoy an unhindered, creative life of excellence. What an amazing blessing for obedience! Once again, if you are caught in the midst of a relationship trial, hold fast to His promises and you will enjoy His blessing for your family. • You will be blessed regardless of where you live, whether in a city or in the country. I used to think that location mattered a great deal for artists. It was plain to me that some parts of the country were more receptive to art and aesthetically more literate than others. But I now know that God’s blessing can make your art meaningful regardless of where you spend your days on this earth. Location is no match for the power of this blessing for obedience!
• Your resources will be more than adequate for every challenge that comes your way. He will provide, or multiply what you already possess and faithfully put to use, if you are obedient to His voice. In seasons of meager supply, keep trusting Him and He will sustain you, until you march out of that season with abundance.
• Wherever you travel, God will bless you, coming and going. You never have to concern yourself with safety regardless of how turbulent the world is. His blessing has you covered. This does not mean that you will not face trouble. But in the face of that trouble, He will be your shield, protection, and ultimately, your victory. You will come out of all trouble, blessed.
• You will witness those who oppose you relenting, not because you exercised “your rights,” but because of the boundaries of blessing that God draws around your life. He will change circumstances to ensure victory for you in every confrontation. Make no mistake, you will face opposition, so this is another precious blessing!
• You will overflow in “stuff”—material and tangible. No longer will you have to worry about being a “starving artist”. With these blessings for obedience, you will always have more than you can use. You will never run out.
• You will have such an abundance that others will draw from you, not you from them. You will never run out. Wait, didn't I already say that?! God seems to relish repeating Himself—many of these blessings overlap, happily restating promises to ensure we absorb them all to live a life of joy, not worry!
• Your life will flow like the seasons. Enjoy periods of quiet, followed by seasons of vigorous growth. Those ebbs and flows are all part of the blessing! Regardless of the season, He will provide the “rain”—the perfect resource that you need to flourish—whether it is rest or energy, tangible supplies or favor. He knows best what we need and He promises to supply.
• All through this process, God is establishing you as His own, which is truly one of the most remarkable blessing for obedience that there is! You will be that witness—the poster child for His goodness. Your life will demonstrate the benefits of following God.
I cannot help but marvel at the breadth and scope of God’s promises. It motivates me to listen closely, to heed His voice and to be obedient.
Unconvinced that it is best for man to obey God? Then read the latter half of Deuteronomy 28. It is a chilling account of all that can go wrong if you choose to disregard God’s ways. It does not take much imagination to see it vividly at play in the suffering that is so prevalent everywhere in our broken world!
What is sorely needed in the world are flesh and blood examples of artists living happy, fulfilled, blessed lives of the kind that God promises.
So where are they? Where are the "blessed ones"? Will you step up to become one?
All it takes is willingness and obedience.
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