Obey God… “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could do nothing of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says?” Numbers 22:18
One temptation is to feed our pride by pleasing people of power. But a fat ego always leads to a shriveled soul. Why would I ever gravitate to the spotlight while leaving God relegated to the dark corner of my life? Capitulation to the desires of man over the Lord leads to guilt and discontentment, while obedience to God leads to fulfillment and sweet communion with Christ. “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23).
Competition with devotion to Christ will happen and when it does the choice should have already been made. Great military leaders make their best choices before the war begins, not in the heat of the battle. So plan ahead your obedience, make it premeditated. No individual or circumstance should sway you into spiritual inertia. No obedience or partial obedience is disobedience. Indeed you worship God when you obey His ways.
Obedience to Christ is freedom. You gain options through obedience and lose opportunities from disobedience. Obey God, motivated by love and gratitude. You can trust that He knows what’s best. Obey the Lord even when you don’t understand why, because He can be trusted. Do I obey Jesus when my emotions are conflicted? Am I willing to be misunderstood and mocked as a result of obedience? “Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree” (Acts 5:29-30).
Related Readings: Genesis 22:18; Joshua 5:6; John 14:23; Romans 15:18
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?
How will I respond?
