“Noah did everything according to what God commanded.” Genesis 6:22. What a statement! Could that be said of you – that you’ve listened and done EVERYTHING God asked of you? I’ve asked myself this question numerous times.
Noah most certainly was that salmon swimming upstream. Don’t you know he was shunned, made fun of and laughed at. But he continued and didn’t let the mocking deter him. Not only that, but Noah exercised great faith as he had never seen or probably couldn’t even imagine rain, much less a flood to wipe out the inhabitants of the earth! Noah’s faith in God seemed so resolute; I wonder if he ever waivered.
There were others in the Bible known for their obedience…Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Joseph, Isaiah and Saul/Paul, to name a few.
In each case, God had a specific calling for each. Some questioned the Lord and argued back, wondering WHY God would call them to such a task. And yet others just accepted and did what was expected.
Let’s pause and consider Moses. Why would God choose Moses to lead the Israelites? He had been raised in Pharoah’s house so surely this family connection would seem to give him a “leg up”? But on the other hand, he had some kind of difficulty speaking; scripture tells us he was “slow of speech” so was it a speech impediment? Whatever the speech issue was, it made him feel week and ill-equipped to speak on God’s behalf. And he was a murderer. Why would God pick a man who had sinned so heinously? Perhaps his weaknesses made him the perfect candidate to lead the Israelites. He would have to rely on God. During his 40 years in the desert of Midian, I believe Moses changed. We’re not privy to all that happened during this time period, but he emerges from that time in the desert as a God-reliant man vs. a self-centered man, similar to Peter.
Then, there’s Joshua. Not only was Moses an incredible mentor and exemplary role model to Joshua, but in his own right, Joshua was a great warrior and military strategist. Isn’t it ironic that God would choose a man who had all the military know-how and then have him march around Jericho and shout vs. fighting to conquer the city? What restraint Joshua had to use…and oh, the trust he must’ve had in Jehovah! But by being obedient and doing it God’s way, the One True God got the glory, not Joshua. God was teaching Joshua, like He tries to teach us, that His Plan and Power is ALWAYS better than our own strengths and abilities.
I could go on and on with people in the Bible who are exemplary when it comes to obedience. But there are some standouts from my perspective. One who rises to the top, in my opinion, would have to be Abraham. Early on, God called this man of God to leave the known and venture to an unseen place, leaving everything familiar. Along the way, Abraham was given several other “tests” of obedience and faith. For me personally, I definitely would’ve failed the test when it came to Lot. That selfish, egotistical nephew would’ve tried my patience! Abraham showed great compassion, wisdom and selflessness in his dealings with this family member. I would’ve kicked him to the curb (in my flesh – ha!). Just being honest. But let’s fast forward through Abraham’s journey with the Lord. The pinnacle of trials came when God called him to sacrifice his most precious gift, Isaac. Would God really ask this of Him? Yes, he did! And Abraham passed the test with flying colors!!! I love this account in Genesis, but search for this true Biblical account on Nest videos. I’ve used it several times to teach children this story, and it’s always sobering and a good reminder of the incredible faith and relationship Abraham had with the Lord.
After becoming a mother and only having one son, I can’t hardly wrap my brain around what Abraham went through. But the older I become, I do understand why God put him through this most extreme test. God so wants to be #1 on the throne of your life and mine. As the Bible reminds us, He is a jealous God. So, Jehovah won’t allow a spouse, a child, a parent or even someone good or something good to occupy that position other than Himself.
For me, there are so many others who qualify for the Obedience Hall of Fame. But if I could only choose one more, I might look to Isaiah or Jeremiah. Both of these prophets accepted a difficult call from the Lord and knew they wouldn’t be very fruitful. How hard that must’ve been! But my selection would have to be Hosea. In my opinion, he received the most difficult assignment of all the prophets when God told him to marry Hagar, the prostitute. Oh, I get that his marriage was supposed to demonstrate to His people how unfaithful they were to God Almighty. In this powerful saga, I hurt for Hosea and God. Not only does God ask Hosea to marry her, but to keep loving her in spite of her continued unfaithfulness. What a picture of God’s unconditional love, acceptance and the purest form of devotion that our Heavenly Father has for each one of us wayward children! How we grieve and hurt His heart with our lack of love and lack of commitment.
Now, the point of my article is not to see who wins the award or who should get the prize for obedience. By the way, I think Jesus would win that award hands down. No one has ever submitted or surrendered His rights in such a stark way; Jesus didn’t deserve the calling God put on His life. After all, He was holy and pure. But He chose to obey and answer God’s call. Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested, beaten, whipped, tortured, mocked, humiliated and nailed to a cross because of His love for you and me, but also His perfect devotion and obedience to the Father. It’s so simple but yet so profound that it’s hard to wrap our brains around it. I think if we truly comprehended his sacrifice as human beings, more people would fall on their knees and accept his incredible gift of salvation.
Now to the main point of this article is for YOU to consider what all this means for each of you and me.
If I were to ask, “Do you love God? Do you love and know Jesus?” You’d probably respond favorably and say, “Of course!” I’m assuming that if you’re reading my blog, you are a believer in God and Jesus follower. But, let’s go a step farther. If you truly love God/Jesus, how are you demonstrating that love?
Now, let’s back up. I’m not saying you need to prove your love – or that your relationship with your Heavenly Father is contingent on you. God sent Jesus as a gift. Salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift, not based on our merit or good works according to Ephesians 2:8-9. None of us are deserving. Our best works sure don’t qualify us for heaven; the Bible reminds us that our good deeds are as “filthy rags” or literally women’s menstrual cloths in light of God’s purity and Holiness. It’s only through God’s mercy and grace that He gave up His perfect son, Jesus, on our behalf. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was out of His unconditional love for us, and His obedience to the Father. None of it was based on our merit.
But AFTER you believe on Jesus as God’s Son and ask Him to come into your heart and life and to forgive you of your sins, He does require things of you. Namely…obedience.
The following verses come to mind:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15
“Whoever hears my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me.” John 14:21
“If anyone loves me, he will obey My teaching.” John 14:23
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
Based on these verses, how will YOU demonstrate your love for your shepherd?
What is God calling YOU to do?
Your call might to be to serve in your church – teaching a class, singing in the choir or using your gifts in some other capacity. Maybe you feel it’s out of your comfort zone or you’re not quite ready.
Perhaps, God is asking you to share about Him with a family member, neighbor, co-worker. The mere thought of it petrifies you!
Maybe He’s asking you to care for a parent, in-law or another family member, and you’re struggling with selfishness and priorities.
Or is God asking you to volunteer in a ministry outside the church?
Or is He calling you to forgive someone so you can move on with your life and not be loaded down with anger, bitterness or other negative emotions? You’re running from Him; you’re struggling with emotions as you feel justified.
Or does He want you to reach out and invest or minister to that one person? You know the one.
I’m thinking of each of you out in “blog land” and praying for you. I KNOW God has called you for a specific purpose or task.
Maybe He’s asking you to visit someone homebound or in a nursing home.
Maybe He just wants you to start tithing. Or He’s put it on your heart to give way above the tithe; you have the money, but you’re holding on to it with stingy hands.
Maybe God wants you to just pray for several others in the privacy of your home or lead a prayer group.
Perhaps He’s convicting you to stop that sinful habit. You’ve felt distant from God because of this sin, but you haven’t repented and asked for forgiveness.
Maybe He’s asked you to give up something…a job, a relationship, etc.
Could God even be calling you to surrender someone in your family as He did Abraham with His promised and precious son, Isaac? Oh, I don’t mean literally taking one of them out to kill/sacrifice. (Maybe you’ve been tempted – ha!). But figuratively, you’re holding on too tightly…putting him or her above God. It could be parents, a spouse or children. God won’t tolerate idols, even if they’re honorable ones such as loving family members.
There’s no doubt in my mind that YOU know what He’s put on your heart.
Where do you go from here?
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I ran from God for years regarding “writing for Him”. If I’m totally honest, I’m still not comfortable with it. I don’t feel adequate. Most of the time, I don’t feel like I have anything to contribute or my writing is boring or commonplace. When I feel that way, I have to pray and ask the Lord to remind me that it’s not about ME. It’s about being obedient. Trusting Him. Minding Jesus as my Master. It’s not about my performance or MY idea of success.
This quote from David Wilkerson pierced my heart in this matter. “When God calls you to something, He is not always calling you to succeed; He’s calling you to obey! The success of the calling is up to Him; the obedience is up to you.” God had to get me to the point where I realized it’s about doing what the Captain of My Life requires of me, even if I don’t understand it or agree with Him.
When I finally relented and obeyed the Lord in this area, it was like a 500-pound weight was lifted off my shoulders! And the peace of God was evident, as well as intimacy with the Father.
This quote from Alistair Begg also resonated with me. “The grace of God does not relieve me of my responsibility to be obedient; the grace of God makes possible my obedience.”
When you stop and think about it, it’s quite an amazing thing that God accomplishes His work and uses US as mere humans in the process. He doesn’t call us because we’re perfect, so skilled or even sinless. His desire is to stretch us, grow us and transform us by using us. Just to be on mission with Him is such an honor and privilege.
God calls us to be His vessel. When we surrender and are obedient to whatever He’s called us to do, He helps our faith to be strengthened and our dependence on Him to grow. Serving Him, especially when it’s out of our comfort zone, helps us realize our need for Him afresh and anew. It’s an opportunity to join Him and have His Holy Spirit coursing through our arteries and veins like we never knew was possible!
I am recalling certain times in my life when I KNOW I answered His call and was obedient. Oh, the joy that obedience brings. It’s a feeling of fulfillment and purpose like no other. It’s a place of peace and contentment where your heart is full to overflowing.
And when you run from that calling, the opposite is true. It eats at you; you’re somewhat miserable. And if you’re not, then question your relationship with the One True God. Seriously.
Oh, friend. I pray you will have courage to step out in faith and follow through on what God has called you to do. I almost typed that I pray He will equip you. But isn’t that a given? If God’s called you to it, He WILL walk you through it. In another words, He will go before you and equip you.
So, if He is going to give you what you need to fulfill His call, what’s holding you back? What’s keeping you from surrendering your rights and relinquishing your will to the plan of the Father?
Fear – fear of failure, fear of the “what ifs”, fear of rejection, fear of being made fun of, fear of change, fear in general
Laziness – Taking the first step will require too much effort.
Selfishness – You would have to give up YOUR time, energy or resources to obey. YOU have your own agenda.
Timing/Priorities – Even though you KNOW God is calling you to something specific, you’ve told Him the timing isn’t right. You have other responsibilities more pressing.
The enemy – Satan has a hold on you in this area. Ask God for strength for the enemy’s grip to be loosened. Spend time in the Word and crying out to God. Quit making excuses! Take the first step! Sometimes, it’s the hardest.
Dear ones, remind yourself that you’re missing out on a blessing from the Sovereign God of the Universe when you’re not obedient. I think God gives us a window of opportunity in which to answer His call. Sometimes the door closes before we say, “yes”. If we hesitate too long, the opportunity might be lost for good.
If you’re walking with God and listening to the Holy Spirit, you can’t keep ignoring His promptings. If you do, it will cost you.
What do I mean by that?
- You will be miserable and not have peace. And I do believe it’s Biblical that your relationship with God will be lacking. Intimacy with God won’t be possible because of your disobedience. It doesn’t mean He quits loving you, but it does affect your relationship.
- Or there will be consequences for your disobedience.
Remember Jonah who tried to run from God when he was called to Nineveh? Jonah wanted no part of it. He hated the people of Nineveh. They were known to be a cruel and heartless people that did unspeakable acts to torture their enemies. Some scholars speculate that Jonah may have even had relatives or friends who were their victims. All of this background is speculation. What we do know for certain is that he tried to run from God, as well as God’s purpose and calling. He got thrown overboard into the vast ocean and was swallowed by a huge fish. Just being in the belly of that whale, smelling the ghastly smells, being tossed, “churned” in the dark and scary digestive tract of a huge mammal and not knowing what came next would be frightening and gross to say the least. We know from scripture that this experience was the “wake up” call Jonah needed. Personally, I think Jonah got off pretty easily; God was merciful.
At this point, I’m sure you, like Jonah and me, have wrestled with what the task is, and you’ve weighed the high cost of obedience.
But have you stopped to consider the high cost of disobedience? Jonah was given a second chance. What if God doesn’t give you one?
You will be missing out on His blessings…and who knows what else? Will your children, grands and future generations suffer because of your lack of faith/disobedience? Believe me. I’ve contemplated these questions many times. I don’t want to respond out of fear. But a healthy fear and respect of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Fear shouldn’t be our primary motivation, but certainly it’s part of the equation.
I’m not trying to put you on a guilt trip or twist your arm into submission. After all, the Holy Spirit is the ONLY ONE who can convict. I’m just trying to raise your awareness. And to make you think and ponder consequences.
Furthermore, I’m praying that YOU listen to His still, small voice and will be intentional to take the first step of obedience. I pray you will desire to obey God and desire to please Him in every way.
“There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to OBEY the voice of God”. Dwight L. Moody
I could share many more examples, provide Bible verses, stories from the Word to illustrate my point and write several more paragraphs, but I will close with this prayer by Alistair Begg that spoke to me on this crucial subject of obedience. I pray it speaks to you:
“Prayer: Walking in Obedience
Lord, you made it clear that if we walked in obedience, we will live a full life with YOU. Being obedient will cause an overflow of abundant blessings within our lives.
Help us to not be as King Saul, for he lost everything through disobedience. Remind us, Oh Heavenly Father, that disobedience is a form of rebellion towards You and as You have clearly stated, if we reject You and Your Word, You will reject us from Your heavenly kingdom.”
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