Daily Devotional for Saturday July 28, 2018

Follow the Example of Obed-Edom from the Book of Second Samuel to Unlock God's Blessings

(2 Samuel 6:10-12)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, I pray today that you guide my steps. Let me live this day in a way pleasing and acceptable to You! Let my voice not be silenced when I have an opportunity to take a stand for You and Your Truth. Let my love for You today be shown in my life, for Your glory! In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!

I would assume that many reading this today have no clue who Obed-Edom was. If you turn in your Bible to the sixth chapter of the book of Second Samuel, you will read about Obed-Edom in verses 10-12. He was a Gittite, a native of the Philistine city of Gath and it was in his home that David stored the Ark of the Covenant for 90 days. Interesting Bible trivia you say? NO! The reason Obed-Edom is important to YOU today is because the Bible says that, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the Ark of God."

Let me say that again. The reason Obed-Edom is important to YOU today is because the Bible says that, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the Ark of God!!!"

You see my friend, in the Old Testament there was no Holy Spirit. God did not dwell with men, men had to dwell with God. Prior to the day of Pentecost and the promise of the "comforter" (the Holy Spirit that now indwells a believer at the moment of salvation), man had to physically go to be in the presence of God. God's people followed the Shekinah cloud of glory, signifying God's presence, protection, and guidance. The Ark of the Covenant was where God's presence was found. Man had to physically go to be in the presence of God.

The Bible tells us that the "Ark of God" was in the house of Obed-Edom for 90 days. Please, I do not want you to miss this. Because the "Ark" was in his house, the Bible actually tells us that not only was the household of Obed-Edom blessed, but EVERYTHING he had. Most people just gloss over this. I want you to stop for a moment and consider what the Bible says. His household and everything he had was blessed. Why? Because of the presence of God!!!

WHERE YOU FIND GOD, YOU WILL FIND HIS BLESSINGS!!!

Do you want your house to be blessed today? Do you want "everything you have" to be blessed today? Then you must bring the presence of God into your home!!! God's presence is no longer a "pillar of cloud" that you must follow, but it resides in every person that has accepted Christ as their Savior. This is very heavy so listen to me carefully. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior by faith, the presence of God resides within you. You are bringing the presence of God into your home every time you step inside the door.

Never forget what I tell you so often. Rebellion to God brings consequences, obedience to God brings blessings. If you want God's blessings on your household and everything you have, you have to be living in obedience to God. Are you being a Godly husband or wife in your home? Are you being a Godly son or daughter in your home? If you have children, are you being a Godly parent to your children? Is God honored in your home? Is what plays on your television, on your radio, on your computer, honoring God? Are the activities that take place in your home honoring God?

If you want God's blessings, you have to live a life of obedience to God. If you want your home to be blessed, you have to have a home where God is welcome and honored. If you want God's blessings on everything you have, you have to honor God in everything that you do. God loves to bless His children, and God wants to bless you today. Not just you, but your household and everything you have!

I love you and care about you so much. We are so blessed that we don't have to physically go to be in the presence of God any longer, but God's presence actually dwells with us if we know Jesus Christ as our Savior by faith. You don't have to have the Ark of the Covenant in your home to have God's presence. God's presence exists because you are there. If God is not blessing your household and everything you have, it is because you are not honoring God with your life!

I want to challenge you today. God blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he had because the presence of God was in his home for those 90 days. In just 90 days, having God in his home brought God's blessings! If you want the blessings of God in your home, on everything you have, then take these next 90 days and make your home a place where God is honored.

God blesses our obedience. As you invite His presence into your home, He will bless your household and everything you have!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller