Joshua 1:7-16

The truth finally seems to be coming out regarding one Florida mom, charged with the murder of her daughter, Caylee; and it could mean a death sentence for her. Casey Anthony sits in a courtroom each day as the prosecution presents witnesses like her mother, brother, and detectives. She sits and watches the jury as they listen to her various stories about the disappearance of her daughter, whose body has now been found. After saying that she had a nanny who was the last person with whom she had seen her daughter, it was difficult for Ms. Anthony to explain why she hadn’t reported her daughter missing after a month and why none of her friends and family had ever met the nanny. Casey Anthony appears to have continually tried to create her own reality and her own set of rules.

Ms. Anthony is finding out that there is only one reality in the world, however; and that world has laws we must obey and agencies that enforce those laws. We are free to do as we please, as long as we abide by them. If we study the Scriptures, we can clearly see that God has rules as well. And while being faithful people is not simply a matter of obeying the rules, that does not mean there are no expectations or directives from on high. God laid out for the Hebrew people how they were to act and what was expected of them. These commands came with a promise as to why they were to be obeyed: “so that you may be successful wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7). God’s blessing will follow if we obey God’s commands. The blessings of living by God’s commands are there for any who will abide by them; no special knowledge or secret handshake is required. But as the people of Israel learned, not heeding God’s commands also has its consequences. Make it a daily goal to seek to obey God and serve God in all you do. Then watch the blessings follow.

1. What do you think really happened to Caylee? Why do you say that?
2. What type of blessings does God give to those who follow God? What kind of blessings have you experienced?
3. What do you do, on a regular basis, to make sure you are living in God’s reality and seeking God’s will for your life?