As we rapidly approach the end of 2020, I think we have to admit that this has been an incredibly tumultuous year. But as we all know, God’s Word has warned us that these times would come upon us and He has encouraged us not to be troubled but to be focused ….. focused on trusting and obeying Him. And this is not some idle suggestion, but it is a sacred commandment from on high as stated in the Book of Ecclesiastes: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12 : 13) God has ordained that obedience is one of three essential components that are necessary for our salvation to flourish. Those holy components are as follows:
1) God’s grace
2) Christ’s sacrifice
3) Our full submission and obedience to God’s will and God’s Word
The removal of any one of these components spells big trouble for our salvation. The good news is that you can believe that God’s grace is a done deal and will never change and that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is a done deal and will never change. So that only leaves one thing …….. and that is us and our obedience. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Hebrews 4: 7) It is vitally important not to allow external influences to cause you to lose focus on God; harden not your heart. Don’t worry about the election; harden not your heart. Don’t be over-stressed about your children; harden not your heart. Don’t be depressed about health issues or discouraged about your finances; harden not your heart. This is what you do with your heart, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5 & 6)
And the best thing about this path where God is leading us is that an academic degree won’t help you to understand it, massive amounts of wealth can’t purchase it and any training certificates or practical experiences you’ve had won’t qualify you for it. God has freely provided us with everything we need to be saved through His Son and all we have to do is believe and take advantage of it. But the devil wants to keep us preoccupied and distracted with "controversies of the day" so that we become focused on the wrong things and don’t capitalize on the opportunities presented to us to hear, to trust and to obey the One who loves us. This is similar to a diseased man who was so focused on having someone put him in a pool of water where he believed that he would be healed that he didn’t realize that Jesus was right in front of him offering the healing he desired. All the man had to do was to take his focus off of the water and obey the One who was the key to his recovery. Glory to God and good for him, that's what he did. “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked…” (John 5: 8-9)
Once again, God’s part and Jesus’ part in our kingdom connection will never change. That only leaves us and we only have one job to do. Yes, dear ones, that job, or as Ecclesiastes calls it, our whole duty, is obedience. But I’m not talking about blind, robotic observance to a set of rules and regulations. Nor am I speaking of an occasional compliance with established principles that is only an outward display of conformity that only results in this: “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15: 8) I’m talking about an inward purity that is indicative of a humble and contrite heart which leads directly to the joyful and loving fulfillment of God’s commandments. And there’s only one way to get this kind of heart and it’s called repentance. And this type of godly repentance may even involve tears. Sweet, broken tears of submission to God that moves Him to reach out with His divine touch and transforming power of love. Only then, when our heart is in this loving place, does our obedience count towards anything. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.” (1st Corinthinans 13: 1-3)
Back in the Book of 1st Samuel, Chapter 15, Verses 1-23, God sent the prophet Samuel to tell King Saul to completely destroy Israel’s enemies, the Amalakites, because of the evil they did to Israel when they came out of Egypt. However, Saul only destroyed the defective things but spared the best of the sheep, cattle, etc. When God sent Samuel to ask Saul about his disobedience, Saul had an excuse all ready to go. He told Samuel that these things were not destroyed because they wanted to sacrifice them to the Lord. Here is Samuel’s response: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”
As you can see, dear ones, King Saul said the right things but his heart and his focus were in the wrong place. I reference back to Ecclesiastes again where it tells us to “fear God.” It’s not speaking so much about being frightened out of your wits, although if you are not His child you should be. But it is talking about revering, respecting, cherishing, honoring and being in complete awe of God. And when your heart is in this condition your obedience will be out of true love and not out of terror. This takes the condemning load of the written law off of you and adorns you with the gracious law of God’s love which results in sincere and genuine action that fulfills the following profound proclamation, “If ye love me, keep My commandments.” (John 14: 15) And it truly is all about love. In God’s Kingdom, talk is cheap but true love in action is everything. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1: 22-25)
Jesus Himself knew how important willing obedience to God was when He said, “And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” (John 8: 29) Our Lord stayed true to being obedient to His Father even during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane as He was anticipating the horrible torture He was about to suffer for us all, “…Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22: 42) He referenced the importance of obedience in the model prayer He taught us from His Sermon on the Mount, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6: 9-10) He listed obedience as an admittance requirement into God’s family, “For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew 12: 50) And not just any family, but a royal, sanctified family, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Exodus 19: 5-6) He even warned us of the dire consequences of disobedience, “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7: 21)
You see, this is personal and you have to take it personally. It has nothing to do with anything or anybody else but God, Jesus and you. And for thousands of years God has promised blessings to those who willingly, sincerely and cheerfully obey Him. “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day…” (Deuteronomy 11: 26-27) And you don’t have to hope for God’s promises, just believe, because God doesn’t lie and His promises are absolutely, 100% guaranteed. “And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and He shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Deuteronomy 28: 2-8)
So don’t fret, don’t worry, don’t rebel and don’t block your blessings. “…prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3: 10) Continually concentrate on the things the Lord has given you for life and godliness. (See 2nd Peter 1: 2-8) Now, “…seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3: 1-2)
Last, but certainly not least, remember this, we don’t serve God because we want something from Him. It’s not about what He does for us but about Who He is. And frankly speaking dear ones, He is everything to us. “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15: 1) Again I say, we don’t serve God because we want something from Him, we serve God because we love, love, love Him! And why? “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4: 19)
And so, beloved of our most compassionate Father, stay focused and stay obedient.
Now take up your bed and walk in God's love.
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