“Obedience is a lifetime of learning from the Lord’s perfect love.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 26, 2021
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Hebrews 5:7-9
I marvel watching our grandchildren as they are learning the process of obedience. Some take naps dutifully, others resist with a whimper or extended cry—painful, yes, but after their rest a much better version of themselves! All four of our girls and their husbands, use the five-minute approach—In five minutes you need to pick up the toys, before we go home. Or, in five minutes you need to get out of the pool, dry off and put the floats away. This calm heads up seems to ease the pain of ceasing a fun time, while giving opportunity to be grateful and responsible.
Learning obedience is a lifetime of listening, learning, resisting, suffering and joyful obedience.
Jesus modeled the way in His experience of learning obedience through suffering. His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane were an expression of a heart bent toward being who His Father had called Him to be, but in the pain of the moment, asked if there was any other way to obey. In reverent submission, and with fervent cries and tears, our Savior expressed His loving obedient spirit when He prayed: Not my will, but your will be done! The perfect way He obeyed on His worst day became the best day of eternal salvation for all who believed and obeyed Him.
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8)!
Are you able to obey on your worst day? In those moments of pain and the temptation to give in to going astray, lean into the love of your heavenly Father. Say out loud—Lord my heart hurts, I need your love, grace and forgiveness to fill my spirit with your Spirit, to calm my heart with your peace, and to reassure my confused mind with your clarifying truth. God’s will for you is not a road traveled without pot holes of pain or exit ramps of exhaustion. Instead, as you bear your cross—patiently trust the one who modeled joyful obedience as He approached His cross of suffering and salvation. Suffering is a teacher of obedience that leads to an abundant, loving life.
Learning obedience helps start the right way, continue the right way and finish the right way. Obedience is a lifetime of learning from the Lord’s perfect love. The mortal’s spirit is molded more and more into the likeness of Christ to be totally and completely perfected in immortality. God’s best gift of salvation by grace through faith flows out of the suffering of His son Jesus on the cross and is validated by the resurrection of Christ as our lively hope—ever interceding for us in our pain and hurt. Love continues to joyfully obey—until that day when we see Jesus, our Healer!
“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, make me more like Jesus through my obedience and by His love, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application
What pain am I experiencing where the Lord is asking me to remain faithful?
Related Reading
Psalm 40:6-8; Isaiah 50:5; John 4:34, 5:30, 10:18
Worship Resource
We The Kingdom: Peace
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