Category Archives: Curses

Bible, Blessing, Curses, Grace, Holiness, Judgment, Law, Scripture

UNDER A CURSE

GALATIANS 3:10

“For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written: ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THE THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO DO THEM.’”

Being penalized for not keeping the rules is frustrating. I love football, but I don’t like all the rules. Some of them are flat out silly, if you ask me (of course, no one has asked me). But rules are rules. If you break the rule, there is a penalty. Some of those penalties may come at the absolute worse time in a game. I have seen penalties that have actually cost a team a win.

Paul talks about curses today in verse 10. The Greek word for “curse” is katara. It refers to the penalty that occurs when God condemns something. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 27:26. He is saying that if you try to keep the Law but fail in just one of the commands, you are guilty of breaking the whole Law and are cursed. You will receive the penalty as if you had not kept any of it. That’s the futility of trying to keep the Law.

APPLICATION

So, do we just give up? Well, yes and no. James 2:10 says it well, “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” James understood the futility of law-keeping. He had been under the Law. He knew only Jesus (his half-brother) could satisfy the demands of a holy God. We give up on the Law but place all our faith in the One who satisfied it.

I had much rather be blessed than cursed. How about you? Curses push you down. Curses break your spirit. Curses kill all hope. But blessings – awwwww blessings – they cheer the soul. They renew hope. They bring joy. Numbers 6:24-26 rings through my head right now. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Isn’t that awesome?

Keep on trying to do stuff to please God and fall flat on your face. You just can’t do enough to earn heaven. All you have to do is turn to Jesus. It really is that simple. I will still strive to keep all of God’s commands, not because I have to but because I want to. I want to live holy to honor Him, not appease His wrath. Jesus has already taken care of that. Amen! Hallelujah!

Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son to satisfy the demands of the Law. His sacrifice covers me!

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Bible, Blessing, Curses, Obedience, Offering, Scripture

BLESSING OR CURSE

MALACHI 3:9

“‘You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you!’”

I have had the privilege to travel a good bit the past few years with our ministry, Every Man A Warrior. As I have made friends and ministry partners in these countries, I have often received a parting blessing. Words cannot express how much that has meant to me. I also know that there are others in these countries who are actively cursing our ministry because they are under the influence of the evil one. I had much rather have the blessings.

And so, God speaks again to the people and tells them they are cursed because they are robbing Him of His tithes and offerings. Don’t misunderstand this. God isn’t an irritated and spiteful overlord who demands what is His. No! He wants them to be obedient and give so He can bless them. They are already suffering under this curse through poverty and famine. They are suffering physical want because they have not blessed the Lord with the first fruits of their labor.

APPLICATION

You may be suffering want yourself right now. Ask yourself if you are being obedient to the Lord in giving to Him as He demands. God wants to see us obedient so He can bless us beyond our wildest imaginations. We need to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, “so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6b-7)

God’s cursing His children really is more about withdrawing His hand of blessing. God isn’t floating around on a cloud looking for people to zap with a thunderbolt. When we are disobedient and not walking with Him, we wander outside His umbrella of protection. We open ourselves up to the attacks of the evil one. That applies to any disobedience, not just in being unfaithful in our giving.

First and foremost, God does not need our tithes and offerings. He isn’t dependent on them. He wants you to give in order to receive. He wants you to give out of love for Him so He can bless you so you can give again and again. This is NOT all about money. Don’t forget that. Tomorrow’s verse is one of the most quoted verses out there concerning our tithes. Come back and see what the Lord has for us.

Father, help me to give to others with no expectation of receiving anything back. Your pleasure is all I seek.

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Accountability, Belief, Bible, Curses, Emotions, God's Will, Heart, Knowledge, Scripture

I KNOW YOUR HEART

MALACHI 2:2

“‘If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.’”

Unfortunately, I have had the bad experience of trying to help an employee in their work but knowing that they would not change. I had one employee in South Carolina like that. I gave her multiple opportunities to correct her behavior. Each time she promised to change, but I knew in my gut she wouldn’t. In the end I had to terminate her employment, never a fun thing.

The Lord begins verse 2 by warning the priests what will happen if they don’t listen and take to heart to give Him honor. But look how He ends that verse. He says, “because you are not taking it to heart.” The Lord knew them. He knew their heart. He knew they would not turn from their ways. So, the curse would come, and they would pay the price.

APPLICATION

1 Kings 8:39 tells us, “then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,” God knows our hearts as well as He knew the hearts of those rebellious priests in Malachi’s day. Actually, we are not much different.

Wow, that’s kind of harsh, Carl. Harsh, but true. We settle for the blemished offerings instead of offering God our best. We whine and complain about things if they don’t go our way. How are we any different if we don’t trust God’s heart. That’s the key, isn’t it? We have to trust His heart to lead us and guide us.

That can be a challenge sometime. God can lead us to do something that we do not want to do. Or He may lead us to just wait. That’s even harder. Proverbs 21:2 reminds us, “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Don’t trust your ways, trust God’s. It’s always right.

O God, I praise You for knowing all things, including my heart.

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