Tag Archives: obedience

Faithfulness

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John 17

As I look at the Fruit of the Spirit these past few days I realize Satan is doing a pretty good job of making people believe these qualities are old-school, maybe even laughable. He’s convinced many that love is acceptance; joy can be gained at the expense of others; peace comes only if you agree with their delusion; patience is a one-way street; kindness is weakness; goodness is relative; and faithfulness is unnecessary.

I’m looking especially at faithfulness today, and I got to thinking that it might be a lost art. People aren’t faithful to marriage vows as evidenced by the fact more than half of all marriages today end in divorce – even among Christians. And even some Christians have had multiple marriages like the Samaritan woman at the well.

People aren’t faithful to their children when they adopt a hands-off, gentle parenting mode and expect their kids to raise themselves. Unfaithfulness is seen when parents are absent from the home, when they are too busy to support their children at games or concerts, or when they do attend, their eyes are on their phones.

Being faithful in the workplace? People change jobs like they are playing hop-scotch. The grass looks greener over there, so I’m out!

People aren’t even faithful to a church. Someone hurt my feelings, so I’m going to find another church (until someone hurts my feelings…)

Even being faithful to the Word of God is seen as a negative. Satan suggests we can tout the verses we like, either tweak or ignore the ones that make us uncomfortable, or claim God has a new revelation because the Bible is out-dated for our advanced society.

And yet, Jesus is our example of faithfulness. He was faithful to the Father, to the Father’s will, the Father’s message, the Father’s plan up to and including a very painful and humiliating death on the cross.

Jesus was faithful to His friends. He spoke truth to them, He protected them and provided for their needs. He never let them down, never threw them under the bus.

Jesus was faithful to the Words of God. He never altered the message to please different audiences. He spoke the same truth to lepers, tax-collectors, farmers, as well as religious leaders and even kings. He was always faithful to God’s Words.

The same faithfulness in us is an indication of Jesus’ Holy Spirit in our lives. Yes, that means being faithful to your spouse, faithful to train your children in the way they should go, faithful to those in authority over you, faithful to your Bible believing church, faithful to go and make disciples by standing on the truth found in the Bible. Faithful to God’s will, God’s message, God’s plan, and faithfully obedient to His commands.

The world might look at your faithfulness as archaic, but they will also see someone with integrity, someone who is different, better than they. They will see Jesus.

That’s what Jesus prayed right before He went to the cross. May God continue to answer that prayer in my life and yours.

Secure

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Genesis 7:1-24

Warren Wiersbe calls Noah a “secure man who waited on God.” (Be Basic, page 110). I’ve sat here and wondered what it means to be secure.

Noah demonstrated that security in that he didn’t seem to have wavered in his determination to obey God and build that ark. Was he able to stand strong in his convictions because he was confident in his ship-building abilities? Was he able to let the jeers and name-calling bounce off because he knew himself and therefore it didn’t matter what other people said about him? Was he secure in himself, saying things like:

I am strong.
I am capable.
I am worthy.

Is that where Noah found his security? I think if that were the case, about 50 years into that 120 year building project, old Noah would have felt less secure in himself. How would you not question your own sanity after 50 years of everybody questioning your sanity themselves? Every human has weak spot. Noah would be no exception. A building becomes less secure when there is a damaged brick in the foundation. I think 120 years of constant name-calling and nay-sayers would damage a brick or two on a foundation built on self.

I think we can come to the conclusion that Noah’s security came from outside himself. His trust in God was the foundation upon which he’d built his life, and was building that ark. I think Noah was leaning on the secure foundation of his relationship with Almighty God. He could build that boat one day, one month, year after year amid the taunts and questions because he was secure, confident that he was doing what God asked him to do.

Then, he and his family moved into the finished ark with a bunch of animals, and God locked them in. They were secure inside the ark. But the rain didn’t immediately come. Could they hear their neighbors laughing? They sat there on dry ground for a whole week, yet none of Noah’s family abandoned ship.

Noah could be patient and wait on God’s timing because he was secure in his relationship with God. His patience became even more evident for the next year and a week as they waited for God’s timing, all the while doing what God told them to do.

So I ask myself if I’m that secure in my relationship with Almighty God. Do I listen to the taunts and nay-sayers and begin to question myself? When I am weary (and a 600 year old Noah would probably have been a bit weary) do I begin to wonder if God really wants me to build an ark? (figuratively speaking).

I want to be so secure in what I know to be true, that I will work tirelessly on whatever God places in front of me. Even if the timeline requires patience. I want to keep going, keep leaning into God’s strength, keep sharing Jesus no matter what obstacles come. The beauty is, God will GIVE me whatever I need to accomplish His will. That’s security!

Let me learn from Noah to put my faith in God, the firm foundation, and to trust him with every step I take, His will be done in and through me – no matter how long it takes. And may my security not come from me, but from the God who created me, sustains me, and is strong enough to get me through whatever it is I face.

I pray the same for you.

The Work

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Genesis 6:14-22

Warren Wiersbe, in his study on Genesis entitled Be Basic, talks about some things we can learn from Noah. Yesterday I shared about the fact that Noah was a believing man who walked with God. What a privilege we have of that same walk with God as we believe on HIs Son.

Today I concentrated on the second of Noah’s attributes that are imitation-worthy. Wiersbe says Noah was a faithful man who worked for God. I’d like to described as a faithful woman who works for God.

Throughout Scripture we are told that faith and works go together. James tells us faith without works is dead, meaning that if you aren’t actively working for the Lord, you’d better check your faith-pulse.

But we’re also told that we are saved through faith and not our works. I think Noah is a great example of the truth if it.

It started with Noah’s faith. God didn’t find favor with Noah because Noah was a nice guy. Noah was the only person (and by extension his sons and family) in the world who still honored God. Noah demonstrated his faith to the world by obeying God’s instruction to build a big boat on dry land. Not just a big boat, mind you. Probably the biggest structure built my any man at that time.

Plus… it had to be seaworthy.

For 120 years Moses dragged lumber, mixed pitch, pounded nails, all the while explaining the importance of what he was doing to the masses who simply laughed at him. Regardless of their opinions, Noah kept working for God. God was providing the means of salvation for anyone who would believe. And Noah would not be deterred from being instrumental in that work.

You say you’ve placed your faith in God. What does that look like? God has provided the means of salvation for anyone who believes. Are you being instrumental in HIs work?

Moses could have had all the faith in the world. But without doing the work God had given him, things would look quite differently today. Have faith in God. Then get to work.

Do Not Be Silent

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Acts 5

I am going to do something some of you might not appreciate. I am going to take a verse out of context. But I promise you, I am doing this believing that, although the words were said to a specific group of people, the principle is demonstrated throughout Scripture.

Peter and John were put in prison for telling people about Jesus. The powers that be were intent on stopping them, but wanted to tread lightly for fear of the Jews. One man stood up and said:

Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. (5:38b-39)

We just had an election and the Democratic platform, I believe of human origin, failed. The killing of babies as their focus, sexual deviant behavior championed, and their candidate voicing what the platform promotes when she publicly and joyfully said to a Christian, “I think you are at the wrong rally,” and had him escorted out of the venue. The party made it clear that God, the Bible, and Christians, have no place in their government – and their government failed.

I am absolutely NOT saying the Republican Party is pure and stands for God. But I know millions of Christians stormed the gates of Heaven and prayed that God would have mercy on this nation, that He would defeat Satan at the polls, and give us another chance to repent, turn from our wicked ways, and return to one nation under God.

The answer to those prayers is a second Trump presidency and a Republican controlled House and Senate.

But, Christian, don’t think for a minute the battle is won. It’s not over. We have work to do. A lot of work to do. We have seen that the Republican Party is open to listening to our voices.

God gave YOU another chance to make your voice heard. Your voice is heard by how you spend your money – Starbucks? Disney? What is your voice saying when you support companies such as these?

Your voice is heard when you volunteer or support pregnancy centers, when you attend school board meetings and hold them accountable. When you get involved in your community government, or run for state office, or maybe a national office.

Your voice is heard when you write your governors, your senators and congressmen. Please write. And keep writing.

And pray. Pray every day for the direction of your communities and our nation. Stop listening to the voices of evil and recognize the voice of God. Then obey.

Because if we sit back and allow non-Christian Republicans to fashion our government it will be of human origin – and it will fail!

Your voice was heard on Tuesday. This is not the time to go silent.

You Matter

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Nehemiah 11-12; 1 Chronicles 9

I have to admit I skimmed over many of the names listed here this morning. Yet I know God inspired that list for a reason. None of these men would be remembered otherwise.

They weren’t all priests. None of them were kings. They weren’t prophets or poets. So why are they listed in Scripture, along with the menial jobs some of them had?

I think God wants us to know He sees each of us. We’re not all preachers or presidents. We’re not all soloists or song writers. Most of us aren’t known outside our churches, and many of us serve in ways not even our church family knows.

But all of us are important in the ministry. God wants us to know He sees our obedience – and it matters!

You matter.

So if you hold babies in the nursery so moms and dads can go to worship without distraction, if you pull weeds or clean toilets, God sees. If you sing in the choir, visit shut-ins, send cards, or get on your knees in the privacy of your own home and pray, God sees. What you do matters to God.

You matter.

What If We Obeyed?

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Zechariah 8; Ezra

The temple in Jerusalem was being rebuilt. There was opposition, of course. But the opposition could not stand against the Truth. God’s house would be restored.

The Jews let God call the shots. (now there’s a novel idea). They didn’t go to war against those who wanted to stop the work. There was no mean Twitter exchange. They kept on working and let the Truth do its thing.

In fact, here are the things God told them to do instead of seeking revenge:

“…Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord. (Zechariah 8:16-17)

I wonder what would happen if Trump and Harris obeyed this during tonight’s debate. I wonder how our nation, our churches, our families would fare if we all obeyed.

They tried

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Jonah 1-4

There are so many lessons to be learned from Jonah. Today the sailors spoke to me, maybe for the first time. They were pagan. they didn’t know God and most likely thought He was just another god like the ones they worshiped.

When the storm came they cried out to their gods, they tried to lighten the ship by throwing their valuable cargo overboard. They did everything they knew to do to save themselves.

These seem like really good men. Even when Jonah said God was punishing him and that if they wanted to be saved they needed to throw him overboard, they couldn’t do it. They continued to struggle against the storm, throwing more things overboard while sparing the life of Jonah.

But no matter how moral they were, or how hard they worked, or how many times they cried out to their gods, the storm kept getting worse. It wasn’t until they obeyed God that the storm calmed, and they were saved.

Does that remind you of so many in our world these days? Sometimes we think the enemies of God are bad people. But many, if not most are nice, moral, hard working, well meaning people doing everything they can to calm the storm, to be ok, to save themselves. What they find it hard to do is to surrender to the will of God. Thing is, there is no salvation apart from God.

I’m so glad the sailors we read about in the book of Jonah recognized the truth about God and believed. I pray the same will be true for the modern-day sailors who are trying so hard to save themselves. May they give it up, surrender to God, obey Him, accept the gift of grace through the blood of Jesus… and be saved.

Lip Service

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Joshua 24

Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but Joshua told the Israelites to “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The Jews responded: “We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him.”

Was that response an appeasement to Joshua akin to “whatever?” There wasn’t anything wrong with what they said, necessarily. It had the acceptable “Christian” catch-phrases. But it kind of seems like lip service to me.

Joshua had given them two specific tasks.
1. get rid of the idols among you
2. yield your hearts to the Lord

The Jews promised neither. And reading about the choices they make in the Promised Land indicates they did neither. Lip service.

God is still telling His children to throw away the idols among us AND yield our hearts to Him. Do we sit here and say, “Sure, God. Whatever you say,” then go on our merry way holding onto sin, to self, to success…? Do we say we yield our hearts, yet hold onto thinking God ought to yield His heart to ours and give us what we want?

Lip service.

Lip service is not obedience. And obedience is what God demands. I don’t think God is interested in the words. He is interested in the action.

Like I said, maybe I’m reading too much into this. But maybe I’m not.

The Lord Helping Me

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Joshua 12-17

There are two separate and opposite approaches to following God in these chapters. God had given the land to the Jews marked it out for them so each tribe knew what was their’s. However, there were people already living on that land and in those cities. Taking the land would require more than a U-Haul. It would require wars – victories and defeats. It would require strength and faith and obedience.

So here is approach #1: CALEB (14:10-15)

At 85 he was as fit as he was at 40. (I am neither). God had promised Caleb a portion of the land after he and Joshua had spied out the land and came back with a report saying they could defeat the giants living there. The other spies threw fear into the people and the whole nation was forced to wander 40 years in the wilderness as punishment for their lack of faith in God.

Now it was time to do what they should have done 40 years earlier. Caleb had been ready then. He was ready now. Here is his approach:

You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, BUT, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out JUST AS HE SAID. (vs 12b) (emphasis mine)

Caleb was ready to take the land at 85! Why? He trusted God. He knew God would help him do what God told him to do.

Which leads to approach #2: THE TRIBE OF JOSEPH (17:14-18)

They had already taken the land God had given them. Well, kind of. The Canaanites didn’t go down easily and were still living shoulder to shoulder with the Jews. The descendants of Joseph were living in the land, but they were outgrowing it. There just wasn’t room for the Canaanites AND the Israelites.

So they went to Joshua and complained about the crowded living conditions. “We need more land,” they said.

I think Joshua probably shook his head and rolled his eyes “No you don’t,” he replied. “You just need to use what God has already given you.” He told the people to get off their couches and continue the work God had assigned them. “Clear the land…you can drive out the Canaanites. Problem solved.”

We see Caleb ready to plunge head first into battle knowing God would be with him. We see Joseph’s clan hitting a road block of their own making, and wanting to take a detour. They wanted the blessing without the work. They wanted God to give them, without having faith God would help them, get what they needed.

In which approach to following God do you see yourself? I know God has given you a task, has given you land to clear so to speak. Do you grab His hand and go to work? Or do you sit back and expect Him to give you land already cleared by someone else?

Do you expect blessing without obedience, favor without faith?

There is still land to possess, souls in need of a Savior, sins that need to be annihilated in your life and mine. God says, “Go.” How do you approach obedience? How do I?

God WILL go with you. He WILL fight for and with you. Do you trust Him? I pray that you – and I – will say with Caleb:

I know that what God is asking me to do seems impossible but, the Lord helping me, I will take the land.

Don’t Go Back

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Deuteronomy 26-28

“A journey I said you should never make again.” (28:6b)

God, as He repeatedly does, lays out His demands, His blessings for obedience, His punishment for disobedience. There need be no question what is involved in God’s kingdom.

Throughout Scripture, God begs us to follow Him. He pleads with us to obey Him. He warns us over and over about the consequences that come with disobedience. He lays out a path for us to take that leads to glorious blessings. He wants us to take that path. But He won’t force us.

That path is paved with the blood of Jesus. It’s the path that leads us away from our bondage to sin, away from darkness and pain, and into freedom, love, light, and joy. It breaks God’s heart to see anyone turn around and head back toward the darkness and bondage.

It’s a journey we should never make again.

Yet some do. Some choose sin over holiness, self over surrender, things over a relationship with God. The path isn’t always easy. And some people just don’t want to make the effort.

These days when so many people are “deconstructing” their faith, please don’t go back. Hear God say:

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21)

In which direction are you heading? My prayer, and God’s desire, is that you will follow Him with surrender, obedience, determination, faith, and joy. Because not following Him is a journey you should never make again.