Follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. (Deut. 8:1)
Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:1
In high school I had the privilege of being a part of our ROTC Drill Team. Although there were several teams within our overall ROTC program, the Drill Team was the most decorated and prestigious. Practices were intense where preparation often predicted the team’s performance. The key was always listening to the voice of the one calling out the instructions and finding the balance of the rhythm of their cadence, your body and the movements of the team. When done well it was one of the most beautiful displays of oneness and synchronization I had ever seen.
In this passage, God says that if the Israelites follow his instructions, they will 1) Live 2) Increase 3) Enter 4) Possess his Promise. When an “if/then” clause comes up in Scripture it is an indication that if we do something God instructs us to do, then something else is guaranteed to happen. Notice how God points them back to his instructions. I think sometimes we run the risk of looking for something new, powerful and profound, when in actuality it may be simple and straightforward. What was the last thing God asked us to do? Have you been faithful with that? If not, maybe going back to his last set of instructions will be the first step to live, increase, enter and possess what he has for you.
Tune in to the voice of the Instructor for your next step.
Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
