God is opening the heavens to bring a flood of His goodness to humanity. He is bringing increase to His people in every dimension of life. We can flow with Him and see the rain of His anointing and presence in a deeper and more powerful way.
In Deuteronomy 11:13-14 are clear directions that will bring a sustained increase of harvest to each of us. “And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil” (NKJV).
Notice when the rain came to the land, increase accompanied it. The seed began to grow as the rain caused it to flourish.
Within the context of what God has said, His people understood that the blessing would come if they followed His instructions. In other words, they would see their material world increase as God brought His blessing upon them.
The conditions for the blessing and outpouring of the Spirit were created by the way the people walked in obedience to the instructions God had given them. The instructions were clear. They centered on a familiar but sometimes still uncomfortable word: obedience.
In order to obey God’s Word, we must make it the first priority and final authority in our lives. That means we must go to the Word of God first and believe His promise is true regardless of contradicting evidence.
Obedience is going where the Lord says to go and doing what He says to do. Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” (NKJV).
The Word of God states over and over that there are blessings that come with obedience, but a penalty for disobedience. Although many people want the blessings, they do not want to obey. But we must follow through with the instructions God gives us in order to receive the results He has promised.
If, as believers, we are to be full of God’s presence and experiencing His blessing, we must cultivate an attitude of obedience and a yielded heart toward God and His Word. Those who obey Him will best reveal His presence.
In his book, The Blessing of Obedience, Andrew Murray says, “Without obedience there cannot be the spiritual power to enter into the knowledge of God’s Word and will. Without obedience there cannot be the confidence, boldness, and liberty that knows that prayer is heard. Obedience is fellowship with God in His will. Without it there is no capacity for seeing, claiming, and holding the blessing He has for us.1“
If we will choose to follow the instructions in God’s Word regarding our time, attitudes, giving, priorities, and willingness to yield to His influence, we will create an atmosphere around us in which God can move.
1 Murray, Andrew. The Blessing of Obedience. (Pittsburg: Whitaker House) p.58.
