Obedience: January 14, 2014

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 14, 2014.

OBEDIENCE

DEFINITION:

Do as told or learned; following orders; submissiveness to authority.

SCRIPTURE:

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. Exodus 19:5

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the verse above, the phrase “My own Possession” is one of three titles that God gave Israel. The other two were, “a kingdom of priests” and “a Holy nation.” All three were contingent on the Children of Israel being a nation that was obedient to God’s laws and keeping the covenants between them and God.

Obeying God does not come naturally and we should not expect it to come easy. It may require us to give up something we desire. Obedience can be a challenge, especially when we feel tempted to believe that we stand to lose more through our obedience than we might gain. Obeying God is essential to pleasing Him.

When God commands us to obey He is giving us a framework around our lives that forms a protection for us against evil. He has given us wonderful guiding principles by which we are to live. When we live by His principles and obey Him the spiritual blessings God bestows upon us far outweigh any and all of our sacrifices.

Here are several principles that God has given to us that if we apply them to our lives we will begin to obey God with confidence and joy, knowing He can be fully trusted to not only keep His promises to us but to lead us and guide us through every situation in life that we face. 

TRUST GOD WITH LIFE AND WITH ALL THAT CONCERNS YOU. God created you and He loves you with an eternal love. God loved us enough to give His Son Jesus to die for us. Surely we can trust Him to give us what is best for us. God’s love is bigger than any problem we may face in life.

WAIT ON THE LORD FOR YOUR ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEM OR SITUATION. When you are in doubt about any issue you face, refuse to move ahead until you are certain that God is leading you.

MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD. By saturating your mind with the Word of God, the Bible, you will be aware of His viewpoint on every issue in life. When a temptation comes your way you will know right from wrong. It is then your decision how you proceed.

LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. God speaks to His people today through His Word, through His Holy Spirit, Christian leaders and through trusted God honoring friends. We need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our time of praying and studying God’s Word.

BE WILLING TO WALK AWAY FROM SITUATIONS WHEN THE WAY SEEMS TO BE UNCLEAR. Always remain firm to your convictions and do not waver. If you have any hesitancy do not move forward. Ask God to confirm His will to you through His Word. He will never contradict His Word so when he speaks to you when reading the Bible with a thought relating to your concern, always listen and react His way.

BE WILLING TO ENDURE CONFLICT. God rarely empties our lives of trouble and conflict. If He did, just think, we would have no reason to depend on Him. God allows us to have enough conflict for us to keep focused on Him. For some it takes more conflict than others but God knows what we need.

LEARN TO LEAVE THE CONSEQUENCES TO GOD. Being obedient to God is not easy. You may face criticism from others or face severe obstacles or opposition but if you remain obedient to God, He will take care of you and all that concerns you. You will learn about God’s ability to provide. Obeying God is necessary to obtaining God’s blessing in our lives.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 43:1b.

Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; Your mine.

PRAYER:

Help me to stay on the path to obedience to Your laws and commandments. Help me to put every situation that I face into Your hands and leave the outcome to You. Give me and my family a blessed day because we are striving to be obedient to You.