“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.” Deuteronomy 28:1

We’re approaching the end of another year. It’s time to reflect on the past year and look forward to starting fresh in the New Year. Did we do these two things in the past year: did we fully observe God and follow His commands? If things aren’t going well, look at these two things. Did you listen to the Lord? Did you, at every turn, follow His commands? Did God set you high above all the nations on earth? Or are you barely scraping by? Whatever state we find ourselves in, we can look to these two things as causes. Look to the new year as a chance for God to set us high above all the nations.

What does it mean for God to set us high above all the nations, and is this even possible? Many of us intrinsically doubt this and brush it off as one of those Bible quotes that sound good but stray from reality. To be set high above all nations… That is, to succeed in this world, we think we need to work hard, know the right people, be born in the right family, or be lucky. We’ve been told a lot of ways to succeed in the world, and we bought into it. Success in the world is one thing. Faith is another thing. We go to work to succeed, and on Sundays, we go to church. They are two separate things. But the only way we can truly be set above all nations is for God to put us there. We are set above all nations when we obey the Lord and follow His commands. That’s it!

Joseph didn’t become the governor of Egypt because he studied hard, went to the right schools, fell into a fortune, or met the right people. He was sold into slavery. Potiphar’s wife unjustly accused him and was sent to prison. In every situation in his life, Joseph did two things without wavering. He listened to the word of God, and he followed His commands. That’s how Joseph rose to become the most powerful man in Egypt.

Listening and obeying the word of the Lord is something we can do right now. Listen to a good sermon. Read the Bible. These things don’t require money or qualifications. You can do it right now! Listen carefully to the word of God. Don’t sleep through a sermon or skim through the Bible. Listen intently to the word of God. That’s half of what we need to do for God to set us above all nations.

Next, carefully follow all the commands He gives you today. Following the commands God gives you today implies God is always commanding us to do something. It might be hard to follow His commands in some situations. Do it anyway! It might be impractical or illogical to follow His commands in some situations, but this is how we get over the hump. This is how God sets us above all nations. If you’re sinning or doing something God does not command or discourages, stop immediately. Repent! And following His command might require a titanic effort. It might require giving up something you love. Whatever the case, follow the commands He gives you today.

As we approach the New Year, let’s make a concerted effort to be set above all nations. This doesn’t mean becoming the richest person in the world. That’s not the goal. It means God blesses us in whatever aspect we need, whether He blesses us with knowledge, happiness, or even material wealth. Let’s make it the year where we obey the Lord and follow His commands. Let’s, at least, do our parts, and see where God’s blessings will take us. If we don’t do these two things, the possibility of success is not even in play. So let’s do these two things in the New Year and wait for God’s blessings to set up above all nations.

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1984-12-30-mixdown