You fit the description

Deuteronomy 28:12-13New King James Version (NKJV)

12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Last week, I went to a neighborhood park in Kentwood and played with my daughter while a team from our church met about some upcoming events. At one point, I went back to sit with the group working on the event. A few minutes later, two police officers approached the picnic table where we sat. As they approached, we asked "what's up?" 

One of the officers responded, "we received a call and we're looking for someone here in the park - can I see your ID?"

There, I sat, the African American male at a table with 4 African American women and 2 babies. As we sat, about two weeks into the tragedies in Ferguson, a flood of thoughts entered my head. As I reached for my drivers license, I stated, "so, I fit the description, huh?" 

The officer answered, "yes, you do."

I gave my ID and the officers realized that I was not who they were allegedly looking for. Thoughts continued to enter my mind. The main thing I wondered is what that description really was that I fit to those officers. Was it, black male? Bald? 5'6"? Did I look dangerous as I sat at a picnic table with my church leaders? Did I look like a criminal as I was pushing my daughter on the baby swing? How did I fit the description? This was a description that was not favorable for me to fit on this particular day. In their eyes, I wasn't a pastor - I wasn't an author - I wasn't a Christian - I wasn't a husband - I wasn't a father - I wasn't a human resources professional - I wasn't an MBA - I wasn't a consultant... I was a suspect.  

In contrast, Deuteronomy 28:12-13 shares a description we should all want to fit. The passage describes a group of highly blessed people. People who's work is successful; people with enough resources to lend to others in need; people who are in-charge leaders who have attained a level of honor and prestige and rank in their fields. 

How do you get to the point where you fit this description? The secret is found in the last part of the passage: if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 

As I thought about this contrast, I became a little sad to think that even if you heed the commandments and live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, people still may not see you in the same light that the Lord sees you in. Even if you've done nothing wrong, you may still simply be a suspect. 

I challenge you today to fix your sights on living to gain status with God rather than status with man. Peoples' perceptions of you may be inaccurate; they may see you in the wrong light; they may judge you without knowing who you are, but it is not peoples' perceptions of you that matter. What really matters is how God sees you and our text tells us that if you do what He says, He will bless you well beyond what any person could ever do for you. Not only that, He will cause you to be in a position to be a blessing to people who have had the wrong perception of you. Hold on to the promises of God! Living for Him is worth it! Without Him on that day in the park, I would have said more than I should and would have probably reacted in a way that would have caused more problems for me. With Him, I knew who I was and didn't feel the need to prove anything. Do you know who you are? Do you fit the description of a blessed person of God?   

Deuteronomy 28:12-13New King James Version (NKJV)

12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.