Deuteronomy 11:1, NKJV “Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always.”
We should always obey God irrespective of our emotional state: What does OBEDIENCE mean? In simple terms it means hearing the word of God and acting on it. It implies aligning our will to God’s Will; doing what God has Asked us to do. It is when we completely surrender to His Authority and base our decisions and our actions on His Word. When you decide do His purpose for you, He will go before you &/or make your crocked ways smooth. Leave your children a good legacy; teach them to be afraid to disobey God; how do you that? By living as a God-fearing parent – Let them see you obey God.
How do we obey God? By gratefully taking care of the small things God has Placed in your life, like making your bed and watering your plants, you are showing Him that you are a good shepherd of what He Gives you. Obey God by submitting to the earthly authorities that God has Placed on us. We got to be obedient in small things before God Can Trust us with big things It’s extremely important for you to be promptly obedient to God. By obeying in all things, even the mundane (earthly) things, you are showing God that you are willing and able to obey whatever He asks of you. The more we obey God the more we can hear from Him, and vice versa.
Job describes the rewards of obedience: ‘If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity’ (Job 36:11 NKJV). John adds, ‘Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight’ (1 John 3:22 NKJV). If we obey God, our words will be words of power
Paul describes the cost of obedience: ‘You ought to know…about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us’ (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT). Notice the words ‘He did rescue us…he will rescue us again…he will continue to rescue us’. God didn’t lift Paul out of trouble, He walked with him in it and Brought him through it. Paul obeyed in his trouble.
You say, ‘But I have asked God to Help me understand the situation and he hasn’t.’ Mankind has reasoned himself from God: we were not Created to reason with what God Said, nooo we were Created to obey God – Judgment comes if we decide to disobey God (Jer 13: 15). God doesn’t owe us an explanation, but He Promises us an exit strategy. ‘The only temptation that has come to you is that which everyone has. But you can trust God, who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NCV). So, today – obey God, regardless.
Obeying God isn’t always easy, but He will give you the Grace to do it: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ordered by the king to be burned alive for refusing to worship his golden image. Notice their Faith confession: (1) ‘Our God…is able to deliver us’ (Daniel 3:17 NKJV). They never doubted God’s ability. (2) ‘And he will deliver us’ (Daniel 3:17 NKJV). They never doubted God’s willingness. (3) ‘But if not (but even if you don’t put us in furnace),…nor will we worship the gold image’ (Daniel 3:18 NKJV). They never considered an alternative to obedience! How did their story turn out? ‘Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished…saying…”Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God”‘ (Daniel 3:24-25 NKJV). What happened next? ‘Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon’ (Daniel 3:30 NIV).
You say, ‘But this is the hardest thing I have ever been asked to do.’ When God Asks you to do something you don’t want to do, or feel you can’t do, He has your best interests in mind. When your children say, ‘I can’t do this, it’s too hard,’ do you change your mind and let them off the hook? No, you insist, because it’s for their good. That’s how God feels about you: ‘Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them’ (Deuteronomy 5:29 NIV).
If you worry, you will be in disobedience to the Word of God – you don’t need to worry yourself about all the things you are worrying yourself about. Amen
