A few years back I found myself in need of physical therapy. As the therapist told me that following these instructions would build strength and endurance, I had no expectation that she was going to reward me with strength and endurance if only I did my exercises well enough. In that kind of situation, it's clearly the act of exercising itself that brings the strength and endurance.
I once read an author who suggested that among the ways that divine providence works, one was similar to how physical therapy works: that in keeping God's law we find ourselves in a situation where every such action strengthens ourselves, our relationships, our families, and our communities. Every such action nurtures the world around us, and provides good stewardship for all in our care. It is a method for prosperity -- not in some magical way, not in some sense of obligating God, not in some foolproof formulaic way or legal contractual way -- but in the sense that every action that supports a goal should tend to draw closer to it. And the more people who work willingly towards that goal with their eyes open, the more widespread the benefits become in ever-widening circles: in a close-knit family, a safe and supportive community, and beyond into nation and to the world at large.
I would not suggest -- and have not heard it suggested -- that the whole of providence consists of the natural consequences of sticking with God's commands. But I do find the idea interesting, and worth considering, that the law is intrinsically a blessing meant to prosper those who walk in its ways -- and our neighbors.
