98. Be well and increase
Deuteronomy 6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Another conditional promise that it will be well with you has the additional promise that you will increase mightily in the land. The condition, as usual, is hearing and doing the Commandments. The general principle is always the same: keeping God’s Moral Law will make a good life for you. Living well is a direct result of obedience to the Commandments. We can’t measure the cause and effect and see it as you could in a scientific study, for we don’t see the inward obedience and inward living well. But we can believe God’s Word, and it becomes a motivation to believe and obey.
You will increase mightily in the land of promise that flows with milk and honey. For us, the land flowing with milk and honey is the spiritual kingdom of God within the hearts of all believers. One Day we will see the spiritual kingdom become an eternal physical kingdom in which our resurrected bodies will live under the glory of a gracious God; we will see and feel the love of God as a tangible force always.
The promise of increasing spiritually in the kingdom effects spiritual growth while here on earth. We can expect to grow up in every way into Him who is the head. The more we hear, believe, love and obey the Word of God the more we will grow and increase in the spirit. Being strong in faith, powerful in spirit, and full of God’s love is truly living well. This “increase” is available to all of us when we spend more time with God, meditate on His Word often, pray without ceasing, listen to the Gospel regularly, remember our Baptism and partake of Holy Communion. Most people are deceived into believing that “going to church” does nothing for them, but God’s Promise challenges that lie. The Gospel does do something: it increases the kingdom life in us.