Are you surprised that I’m writing again so soon? You can’t imagine how God is stirring me to write and teaching me the blessings in obedience. He is reminding me of the truths of His Word as I first get still and sit in His Presence. As I organized files and rediscovered things I had written down in years past, I realized The Lord was leading me to do what He called me to do in this season of life. I thought He started with my first poem, “Expressions of His Endearing Love” in my first book “Inspire Me”, but I now see that it began many years ago.

This morning He led me down a path (His Word) that brought me back to my last blog, Aye Aye, Captain. Mainly to focus on commitment and obedience.

I used the US Naval crew, specifically the cook, laundry crew, and the Missile Fire Control officer, to point out the necessary training, dedication, commitment, and obedience it takes to achieve their mission. I mentioned what their disobedience could incur. Their actions are a reflection of our Naval forces. That is a direct reflection of our nation!

Then I continued by using the church (believers in Jesus as Lord and Savior) as a parable or analogy to the crewmembers. I want to point out what the Lord showed me about the disobedience of God’s people, namely the U.S. of America. I find it interesting that this comes right after not only “Aye Aye, Captain”, but the inauguration of our 47^th President Donald Trump.

I am doing a 52-week study on the names of God. Today I was reading the lesson on the name Yahweh Lord God. For a deeper study, Deuteronomy 28:9-13 was suggested. The title of 28:1-14 is Blessings on Obedience so I began reading in verse 1. As I was reading of all the blessings of obedience, I wondered why we would ever choose to be disobedient. But read on Reba. So I did! The following verses 15-68 address the Curses on Disobedience. Wow! That’s a lot! 14 verses on obedience and 53 verses on disobedience! We can’t say the Lord Yahweh did not warn His people! And this is the best part yet…

I am using the Bible that I mentioned in a previous blog. It is the one my daughter, Andrea, and her husband, Jared, gave me last Christmas. It is called the Evidence Bible in the New King James Version.The commentaries are by Ray Comfort. Ray, a New Zealander, is drawing much of his commentaries on evangelism from his experiences in open-air preaching for twelve years.

Here is Ray’s commentary for Deuteronomy 28:15:

“The divine butler. As of 2010, America was over $13 trillion in debt (a trillion is a thousand billion). That is no small change. Ironically, hundreds of billions of that debt was to Arab nations, $900 billion to China, and $128 billion to Russia. (I will add that the only debt we should owe to any nation is to obey the Captain of the Lord’s host and do as He instructed in the Great Commission. Obedience to the call of the soldiers in the Lord’s Army.)

Back to Ray’s commentary on the state of America in 2010: Over 2.8 million homes were in foreclosure, with 4 million foreclosures estimated by year-end. A gallon of milk costs as much as a gallon of gas. And a gallon of gas costs an arm and a leg. Add to that the bad news that over 2.3 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer that year, many of whom were children.

ABC News reported that more than 60% of the U.S. was in a drought. We became used to seeing onslaughts of floods, hurricanes lining up our coasts, and killer tornadoes by the dozens ripping up the nation like there’s no tomorrow. And of course, we are in a war on terror that it seemed we couldn’t win.

The above are all signs of God’s dealing with a sinful nation. If you find that hard to believe, read Deut. 28 and see what God warned would happen to Israel they forsook His Law and turned their backs on Him. Underline the places where Scripture warns that they will get into financial debt to other nations and become the tail and not the head. Think about those nations to whom we are in debt. Underline where God says that aliens will flood the country, that their enemies will overcome them, and that disease will plague them.

As you hold your pen, also hold on to your theology, because this chapter will destroy any image of God as a celestial Santa Claus or a divine butler.  He is a God of justice and wrath as much as He is of love and mercy. To form an image of God with only one or two of His virtues, and to leave out the others, is to create an idol in your mind.

We are no different from ancient Israel. These sufferings have come to us because we have not been thankful to God but instead have forsaken His Law. “And I.  say please don’t miss this part!”  If we heed the Ten Commandments, they would show us our sinful state and drive us to the cleansing blood of the Savior. Hearts and minds that are responsive to God, and not political change, is the key to healing for our land.” by Ray Comfort

My friends, here it is the first month of 2025, fifteen years after this commentary. I can tell you with all assurance that America’s decline is evident in every area that Ray pointed out and then some. Fires are now raging like never before in some of the most beautiful and expensive areas of California. It is shameful to mention the atrocities of abortions and the hate crimes across our nation. Can we see that God warned America of the things that would happen if we turned our backs on Him?

But praise God in the Old Testament He gave us the way back:

 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

Although this focuses on Old Testament Law living, we must know that the Law was given to show us our sinful state and draw us to the cleansing blood of the Savior. The Lord is a Righteous God and He must pour His wrath on unrighteousness. That’s what He did in the New Testament at the cross. He poured His wrath on Jesus, the cleansing blood of the Savior. So, you might ask, “Why do we need to be obedient if Jesus did this for us?” First, I would say, out of gratitude to Jesus for the suffering He did for us, that we would desire to be obedient as He was to the Father. This was all to restore us to right standing (righteousness) with the Lord for a relationship with Him. It was for our benefit. As I mentioned before, why would we not be obedient? Obedience brings blessings. He loves us so much His desire is for us to have His blessings. He made the way but we must choose.

Countless numbers of God’s people have been praying for our nation and we know God hears the prayers of His people. Many are choosing the way back to Him by humbling themselves, praying for forgiveness, seeking God’s face, and turning from their wicked ways by choosing Jesus and following Him. By the way, in seeking God’s face, remember the only way to the Father is through His Son Jesus. John 14:6 NKJV “Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Through the Word of God; it is not only our training manual, light to our path, and supply for every need, but it is also the way, the truth, and the life that we live in Christ. His righteous way of living in us, that frees us from the lawlessness of the world. You know, the curses of disobedience!

He gave it all so that we can have it all; all that is good in the Lord’s sight for His people. The amazing thing is, is that He gives us choices to make. If we choose His Son, His Word (training manual), and obedience to His teaching, filled with the Holy Spirit we are equipped with everything we need for victory and walk in His blessings. And the best part is we are a spiritual reflection of the One that made it all possible through His obedience to the Father. By (Spiritually) “looking like” our Father, others desire to know the God we serve.

My poem “Behold a Mirror” in “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds” Books, helps differentiate between physical reflection and Spiritual reflection. On pages 42-43 the last few verses say:

 “With unveiled face, I see who I really am

I look like my Father, the great I Am

Beholding the Spirit of the Lord transforming me

From the mirror’s lies, glory to God, I now have liberty!

I found 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 as my scripture reference and see it as confirmation of the message in the poem.

NKJV “Now the Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”.

And Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.  We renew our minds to God’s Word. Away with the lies of the enemy!

I know there is a lot to unpack in this continuation of commitment and obedience. The main point and the reason for the title “If”, is there are blessings “if” we are obedient to our God. “Captain, I will obey.” “If” we choose disobedience there are consequences as with most things in life. Consider for a moment why our prisons are so full of prisoners. By America’s disobedience and dishonoring God, many are made prisoners to the enemy. We are the reflection of a nation in decline right into the enemy’s hands.

It is my prayer and many godly men and women of God, that America will soon again reflect the Godly nation that we were created to be.

It begins with each individual “If” you are called by His name. “If” you are not His, through the cleansing blood of Jesus and His righteousness, you’d better choose today. For we are not promised tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 and James 4:13-17. By doing so you are choosing God’s blessings and, if not, you choose curses. Only “If”!

As always this has caused me to look at my own life as the Lord looks right at my heart. I hope this has done the same for you without condemnation but for correction. It is said, that although God loves us just the way we are, He loves us too much to leave us that way.” He provided the way for the transformation now we get to choose. Praise God!

Anticipating our transformed America, so that we can be a blessing to all nations as intended,

Reba