Deuteronomy 28:15

But it shall come about, if you do not listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, then all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.

If they read the comparison between the blessing and the curse, most people wouldn’t choose the curse until it becomes a question of following the leadership of God and trusting in that leadership. If the devil deceives a person and distorts their view of God, that person will choose the curse. Without knowledge and examples of who God is from His people, the church, a change won’t come to the lost person. 

Deuteronomy 28:1-2

Now it shall be, if you diligently listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all of His commandments which I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

God stretches forth His hand towards His people like a shepherd guiding sheep. Following God and His word has never been meant to be a burden or hindrance to our lives. The guidance is a hedge of protection from all the potential ways a man can fall into sin. God gives us the answers for the test before we take it. Life should be an open book test for us. 

Luke 12:22-23

Jesus said to His disciples, “For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; or about your body, as to what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

The perspective of Jesus encourages us to think beyond the material to the eternal. Our decisions and choices have eternal ramifications for our lives. When we focus on Jesus and the word, we focus our perspective on the value of a saved soul and our value to God. There is a Heaven to gain and a hell to shun. 

John 7:38

He who believes in Me (who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me), as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living waters. 

When we believe and trust in Jesus and His teachings, we fill our innermost being with living water. By its trust in and connection to God, our spirit finds fulfillment.   Fulfillment keeps us satisfied, willing, and able to stay on track with our faith. The flesh is never satisfied without a connection to God, nor can it be.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things (regardless of what comes), believes all things (looking for the best in each one), hopes all things (remaining steadfast during difficult times), endures all things (without weakening).

We will face times in life when we don’t want to walk in love, and we will struggle. The devil will pummel our brains with all the reasons why the person deserves to not be on the receiving end of love. However, strife causes more damage to our spiritual life and damage to ourselves. Love is our defense and salvation given to us freely by God. We are to give love to others freely.

1 Corinthians 13:6

It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth (when right and truth prevail).

It is time to take a heart check if the believer is rejoicing at injustice. The heart may need some Jesus and Bible resuscitation to bring it back to the love life when anger and resentment towards others are spoken. We may need a heart check.   Love understands that it can control its actions and reactions but not the actions of others.  

1Corinthians 13:5

It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked (nor overly sensitive and easily angered); it does not take in account a wrong endured.

Love becomes a superpower because it allows the individual not to lose contact with God when it deploys. Strife pulls the plug on the receiver and makes it hard to hear from God. Love doesn’t allow an offense to fester and focuses on Jesus. Love sets the believer free from wasted time and wasted emotion. 

1 Corinthians 13:4

Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant.Love is not a feeling because feelings change. Love is a mindset and a choice of personal behavior and belief. God chose to love us even in all our imperfections. Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our imperfection. Therefore, we imitate Jesus and love others because we know we are not perfect. Love is a part of our calling and command

Philippians 4:13

I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me-I am ready for anything, equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength to me, (that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency) 

The devil will try and steal from us and tell us we have to come up with all the answers to problems ourselves. We need to help God, or God is too busy to help us. Christ went away so the Holy Spirit could come inside us as be our strength and power. When we turn to Jesus and be guided by the Spirit, the answer will come.   Jesus is our sufficiency when we trust and lean on Him. 

Romans 8:13

For if you live according to (the dictates of) the flesh you will surely die. But if through the power of the (Holy) Spirit you are habitually putting to death-making extinct, deadening- the (evil) deeds prompted by the body you shall (really and genuinely) live forever.

Our Spirit-filled with the Holy Spirit can scale mountains and remove barriers. Our flesh will come up with all sorts of reasons why we shouldn’t. Ultimately, we have to choose to doubt our doubts and cast down the imaginations that go against the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the bible. Make extinct the old man and the flesh! Grow with the Spirit and live forever.