Obedience | Day 10
Galatians 1:10; Colossians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Hebrews 3:12 – 4:11; 1 Samuel 15:22
Please comment below with your conversation with God and/or insights from today’s Scriptures.
You can answer the following:
What are the Scriptures telling you about obedience?
Do you struggle with obedience? In what areas? What is it about those areas that makes it so difficult?
What is the benefits of obedience?
What is your prayer to God regarding His obedience?
Don’t forget to join us nightly at 7pm on FB.com/waterschurchnyc and join the conversation about the Scriptures and topic at hand.
How High? | Lemuel Ayudtud
Obedience is not a new century virtue. In this era, no one wants to be told what to do. They want to be persuaded or proven in order for them to do something. The issue for those people—which would probably include you and me—God desires obedience.
There are just some things we may never understand. There are some things that God knows that is good for us that does not require understanding but obedience.
What is obedience? (Study more here.) Strong’s Concordance (a book made up of the definitions of all the Hebrew and Greek words and phrases used in the Bible) tell us that “obedience” is an attentive hearkening, compliance, submission. It can be a verb or a noun such as a person who submits to God or someone’s counsel.
In our current society it’s not vogue to “obey”. But in God’s Kingdom, obedience is dear to the heart of God. In fact God would rather have us obey than to offer up sacrifices or prayers. He’d rather have you and me submit to His commands and guiding than for us to fast or sing songs in worship. Why? Because all of these are empty without obedience.
When we read our Scripture verses for today we see a theme. That theme is God’s call for ardent submission to His Word which expresses His Will. The Children of Israel refused to obey God and what may have taken 9 days to do took them 40 years to achieve. Saul, the first king of Israel, thought he had a better plan and decided to go against what Samuel, the prophet, told him God desired; so instead of seeing his children become kings, God took his kingship and gave it to David.
What’s the issue with obedience, anyway? Why is it so hard at times? The answer may vary from one person to the next, but it really sits in our hearts. Adam and Eve were curious about the fruit that God told them not to touch, so they went all out and ate it. The Children of Israel had issues being told what to do, so after so many years enslaved they could not tell the difference between the Voice of God leading them and the voice of the man God who they probably saw as another person trying to be a master over them. And Saul just thought he had a better idea so he decided to do his own thing because, well, he was king—he was above er’body and was not about to let some dude tell him what to do.
Whatever maybe our reasons for disobeying God, one thing is for sure: God is not mocked, whatever we sow we will reap. If we walk in disobedience, we will reap the wrath of God. It may not come instantaneously, but it will come. But if we walk in obedience, then the promises of God come bum-rushing into our lives.
Whether it be in tithing, or fighting lust, or forgiving others, or simply submitting to baptism; God is pleased when we obey Him. Besides, God’s commands are not grievous. They’re not difficult to perform. Tithing? It’s only the 10th part. We’re not going to go broke giving a dollar out of every ten we make. The kicker is God promises an open heaven when we do tithe. Lust? Who wants to be destroyed by succumbing to its pulls? Forgiving others? It’s for us, anyway. We’re not hurting anyone but ourselves when we don’t forgive. Baptism? If you’re a believer in Jesus, it’s the next step. Sure you get soaked, but we have towels.
If we are honest with ourselves, we only resist because we lack faith. And that’s the gist of it. It’s impossible to please God without faith. The just lives by faith. At the very core of it: obedience is an act of faith. So it’s less about blindly following God and more about fearlessly living by faith. (I’d go in on faith, but that’s tomorrow’s topic.)
Lord, ugh, I can really be a resisting human being. Often times I think that my reasons are better than Your commands. I really rather trust You and obey Your word, but I am stubborn and hardheaded. So, Father, please soften my heart to heed Your words. Please help me to stop all this overthinking so that I can get into deep obedience. I don’t want my words to be empty when I pray because in my heart I won’t obey. Help me embrace Your sweet words. They are are burden but they are light. Help me to believe in Your promises. Help me to follow Your leading. Correct me when I disobey. I want to be pleasing to You in everything I do. When You ask me to jump, Lord, help me not to spend time figuring out if I can or why I should or even if it’s safe. Help me to respond with the question, “how high?” Help me to surrender all of my life to You and submit to Your Will, in Your Name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Obedience | Day 10 Conversation | 21 Days
