THE PRICE OF DISOBEDIENCE
“And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:” Deuteronomy 28:65, 66
The chapter from which this passage is taken is devoted to the subject of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. God clearly teaches His people the benefits of obeying His commands. There are plentiful blessings for the obedient child of God. It is a rewarding life to honor the Lord and His Word. We also find the consequences of disobeying His Word. The results of ignoring or rejecting His commands are severe and sure.
It is not possible for God’s people to reject His Word and rebel against His commands without there being severe repercussions. God will not ignore rebellion. He will judge it every time. To paraphrase and summarize our text, God said that His disobedient people would be restless, depressed, anxious, fearful, and insecure. That does not sound like a state of mind and soul that any of us would want to be in, yet it certainly describes the emotional struggles often experienced by some who claim to be God’s children.
We do not believe that Christians will be exempt from problems and adversity. The Bible teaches us differently. Sometimes the godliest people suffer the greatest. However, God’s Word promises us things like peace, rest, comfort, joy, and assurance in the midst of our difficulties. When we are without rest and peace, when our hearts are fearful and worried, we should ask ourselves if these things might be the consequences of areas that are not surrendered to Christ. Perhaps we are not really depending on the Lord as we should.
God wants us to obey Him because it is best for us. When we choose to disobey, we will pay a price for that disobedience. Chastening is painful, but it is necessary. It is evidence of God’s love. As far as our relationship to God is concerned, that correction may come in different forms. One of the ways that God reproves us is by removing the peace and assurance that should accompany the child of God. We wonder how many professing Christians are paying a price for their disobedience and don’t recognize it. The unrest in our hearts should let us know that something is amiss.