And he humbled you and let you hunger
and fed you with manna,
which you did not know, nor did your fathers know;
that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone,
but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3

As we begin the New Year, we look forward to a year of hope and blessings.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Lord reminded the people of Israel that they live not because of what they had, but they lived because God himself said so.

Some of the greetings this season focuses on prosperity and abundance. It is not bad to wish for that. However, we have to remember that true living does not come from the abundance of material things. True living comes from listening AND obeying the Word of the Lord to us.

When I did not know the Lord yet, I always thought that a good life is about obeying the Ten Commandments. But as I got to know the Lord, I find that there is such as thing as the best life that we can have. Indeed, to have a good life requires us to obey the Ten Commandments. But for those who want the best that they can have, the only way is total obedience to the will of God.

Sadly, this is easier said than done. And when we are committed to live this life, the Lord will take us seriously and demand us to give up a lot of things we hold dear. Things we thought would make us happy. And always, letting go of these things will hurt us much. But as I think of it, I see how foolish I was to say 'NO' to God when I know that what he offers is the best that I can have.

Deuteronomy 6:24 says,
And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes,
To fear the LORD our God,
for our good always, that he might preserve us alive,
as at this day

God himself commands obedience not to show us who is boss, but for our own good, not sometimes but ALWAYS! Obedience brings life to us just as disobedience brings death.

As we grow in the Lord, he will bring us to situations that kicks us out of complacency. I find this happen to me very often. I would get complacent and comfortable with my situation and suddenly, the Lord will act and challenge me to get out of my comfort zone and do what he wants. And what he asks of me ALWAYS makes me afraid because it is either too hard for me to do or he is asking (from my perspective) too high a price to pay.

But then I would remember - after days and days of arguing with the Lord in prayer - that I have to obey - not only because I am a servant but because it is the best for me at that point in time. And ALWAYS, I never regretted my decisions because as the days pass, the Lord will indeed show me how all these fit in his plan.

In this New Year, we remember that indeed, we live only through obedience to the Word of the Lord. May the Lord give us the grace to always say 'YES' to his challenges and may he always remind us that he has only the best planned for us.

God bless us all.