Throughout the Bible, God could not be any clearer on this point: He blesses for obedience and curses for disobedience.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 encapsulate this principle: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”

Everyone wants to be blessed. But not as many want to obey. Even fewer understand what kind of obedience God expects.

Satan and His Demons

In Matthew 8, Jesus encountered two madmen possessed by exceedingly fierce demons (verse 28). They blocked passage for passersby. When Christ approached, however, they trembled, begging Him to leave them alone. At the very least, the demons implored Jesus to cast them into a herd of swine, if He had to cast them out. Christ accepted their plea, saying, “Go.” Moments later, the pigs ran off the edge of a cliff and drowned in the sea.

This example shows that even demons believe in and tremble before God (see also James 2:19). In Matthew 4, there is even a recorded instance where Satan obeyed Christ. It was after Satan’s last, desperate attempt to obtain rule over Him. Jesus responded, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (verse 10).

Satan obeyed. He left.

Obviously, this type of “obedience” did not put Satan back in God’s favor. Neither did it bring God’s blessing upon him. That’s because Satan obeyed only because he had to. Satan only has as much freedom as God allows him. Satan accepts these limits grudgingly, like a spoiled child who will not obey unless forced.

God expects more than “have to” obedience.

The Right Attitude

God’s Church has often referred to Deuteronomy 28 as the “blessings and curses chapter.” Moses begins the chapter by saying, “If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee” (verses 1-2). God says that if we are obedient, blessings will actually overtake us.

He elaborates in the next 11 verses. God says He will bless us in the city, in the field, when we come home, when we go out, when we are against enemies; He will bless our children, our produce, our flocks, our goods, our work, our finances—even the weather around us.

In verse 15, however, God reverses the situation. The list of curses to come as a result of disobedience is even more extensive. God says that if we are disobedient, curses will overtake us.

“Moreover,” God said to ancient Israel, “all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee” (verse 45).

Why? Well, because they did not obey. But notice the kind of obedience God expects: “Because thou served not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things” (verse 47). There are many examples of “have to” obedience in ancient Israel’s history. But that didn’t cut it with God. He expects cheerful obedience, with a glad heart. Because the Israelites did not obey willingly, with a good attitude, God cursed them.

God’s Heart

Twice in Scripture, God refers to David as a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). What a compliment! David’s heart was like God’s.

But what does that mean—what is God’s heart like? A quick study of the Psalms provides the answer. David wrote most of them. And even though the psalms were musical compositions, originally they were simply prayers. In that collection of prayers, the words singing, song or psalm appear 206 times; variations of the word praise 167 times; rejoice 55 times; love, lovingkindness or kindness 48 times. You get an idea of the kinds of themes that filled David’s prayers—his innermost thoughts—his heart. The words glad or gladness appear 41 times; joy or joyful 35 times; thanks or thanksgiving 32 times; delight 15 times; happy 7 times. He even mentions words like apples, honey, sweet, fields, flowers and dancing.

If David’s heart was like God’s, then the book of Psalms reveals a lot about God’s heart, or attitude. Assuredly, it is not one that begrudgingly submits to law or government. God cheerfully obeys His law—and so do His children.

Serving God With Joy

If you have found yourself letting down, “obeying” God with a negative or unwilling heart, then heed David’s example and change!

In Deuteronomy 32:7, God admonishes us to remember and learn from history (see also Malachi 4:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:15). Remembering history is the best way to change our attitude with respect to obedience, because if we go back far enough, we reach the time when there was only God and the Word. We would not even be here were it not for God’s family plan. If we go back far enough in ancient Israel’s history, we reach a time when the Israelites were in abject slavery. Likewise, spiritual Israel’s beginnings stem from the humblest of origins. In this end time, God raised up a worldwide work through one poverty-stricken man.

In humble beginnings, God blessed the faithful obedience of men like Abraham, Moses and Mr. Armstrong. God’s work grew wondrously because of the abundant blessing He poured upon the efforts of these servants. The problem arises when the recipients of these blessings forget why they came in the first place.

That’s what Israel did anciently. “But Jeshurun [a poetical name for Israel] waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation” (Deuteronomy 32:18). Israel grew fat from its prosperity and, like a stubborn mule, started kicking at God. Consequently, the Israelites grew thick, meaning dense or stupid, and then forgot about the God who formed them!

God is the one who fashioned us from the beginning. He is the one who brings us out of slavery. He is the one who supplies us with spiritual food while we traverse the wilderness. If we remember these days of old, when we were nothing—slaves to sin—then we will not lose the attitude of cheerful obedience.

But it is not in man’s nature to do that. Blessings tend to make people fat. After being blessed so much and for so long, humanly it is all too easy to take the blessings for granted—or, even worse, to take credit for them.

Don’t do that! The more we are blessed, the more we should thank God and willingly serve Him with our whole heart. If we are not serving God with joy and gladness, considering what we have been given, then something is wrong with us!

Obedient Children

We are God’s children. Like any father, God expects His children to obey with a joyous and happy attitude. God doesn’t want children who “obey” the way Satan does—only when we have to. How could God entrust us with the universe if we only obey because we have to? God wants to give us all power only because of our willingness to serve Him with joyfulness and a glad heart.

In chapter 10 of Luke, 70 disciples rushed to Jesus and joyfully exclaimed, “Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” (verse 17). Who wouldn’t be excited about that? Working for God gives us a lot of authority. Even demons must obey a command in the name of Christ. But you can be sure they won’t cheerfully obey.

That’s why, in verse 20, Christ said, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” God finds no joy in resentful, unwilling obedience. But if our names are written in heaven—if God considers us sons who obey cheerfully—then that’s something we can truly rejoice about.