Tag Archives: obedience

Our Treasure

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Isaiah 33: 6b says: The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

Fear? Why doesn’t Isaiah say, “love’, or “grace”, or even “presence”? He talks about God reigning in Jerusalem and “providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge”. Then he says fearing God is our treasure.

I wonder how well we really know God. This Scripture tells me that being saved, receiving wisdom from above, and learning who God is, leads to fear of him. I wonder, if we were polled, how many Christians would say that God scares them.

I loved my dad and was loved by him. But I made certain choices in my life based on the fear of disobeying him. He wore a belt that was a reminder of painful consequences for disobedience.

I don’t see many children fearing their parents. I see some parents fearing their children, afraid to hurt their egos if they say, “No”, or if they swat their bottoms, heaven forbid. I don’t see many Christians fearing God, either.

The Bible teaches that fear and love are not mutually exclusive, and both are necessary for healthy living. We can’t preach God’s love and ignore his holiness, his demand to be obeyed.

We’re foolish if we neglect to remember that the consequences for disobeying him are painful and eternal.

Holy God, you scare me. When I really try to picture your holiness, your power, your anger toward sin, and when I realize how serious you are about being obeyed, I am afraid. I am afraid of the consequences, afraid of disappointing you or angering you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for saving me. Help me to live with a healthy fear, and a realistic look at who you are. Give me your righteousness, and strengthen me to live a life pleasing to you. I love you. I praise you. I worship you in all your holiness.

Barefooting

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I am sure that in all the years I’ve been reading the Bible, I never realized Isaiah ran around naked for three years of his life. I have to confess that I laughed out loud when I read that today in Isaiah 20. God told him to take off his robe and shoes to demonstrate his prophesy concerning Egypt and Ethiopia.

Isaiah 20:2 says Isaiah obeyed, and walked around naked and barefoot. God wanted them to know they would be stripped of everything they thought protected them from God’s judgment. I get that. I understand the lesson Isaiah was teaching. But verse 3 tells us Isaiah taught this lesson for three years, naked and barefoot! God certainly was serious about getting his point across. 

And I get the point.

God wants me to strip myself of everything I might think can shield me from his judgment. Take heart, I am fully clothed and intend on remaining so. However, in my heart I need to strip myself of all good intentions, all excuses, all church attendance and service. I need to strip myself of righteous indignation, self pity, intellect. 

I need to stand naked before God and confess that I am nothing, have nothing without him. I need to let him clothe me with his righteousness because I have none of my own. I may have led a dozen people to the Lord, sung in the choir, taught Sunday School, talked the “talk”. But none of that will protect me from God’s judgment if I don’t personally and intentionally confess my sins and allow him to forgive me. 

Dear God, once again I thank you for allowing your Word to speak to me today. Forgive me for thinking anything I have or have done will somehow cancel out the sins I have committed, for the sins I need to confess. Lord I stand before you naked, stripped bare of good works, good intentions, good excuses. I am a sinner. Forgive me, Lord, in Jesus’ name. Clothe me with your righteousness. Thank you for forgiveness, for life, and for your Word that speaks to those who are open to what you would have us know.

It’s On Me

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I read Proverbs 25-29 this morning as part of my daily walk through the chronological Bible. Some of the proverbs make me chuckle. Others hit home and convict. I don’t understand some of them. What I came away with today is: be honest, love and obey God, use good sense, don’t get too full of yourself. I am reminded that God wants to bless me today. The only thing standing in his way, is me.

I went to my weekly Weight Watchers meeting this morning. (that’s a story in itself) The instructor asked us to list those things that cause us to slip up in our attempt to lose weight. People threw out things like: other people, snacks at the workplace, depression, fatigue, holidays, etc. We all could relate!

Then she said: none of those things cause us to fail. It’s us. It’s me. It’s my taking that handful of chips, or worse, the whole bag. It’s me eating that candy and not counting it. She reminded us that no one forces food in our mouths, and that we need to take responsibility for every bite. 

I was reminded of that truth as I read Proverbs today. I am responsible for the choices I make: from my attitude, to how I dress, to the relationships I have, to my response to temptation. I can’t blame you… or God.

If I am not being blessed by God, it’s not his fault. Circumstances aside, he wants to bless me in every and all situations, good and bad. He only asks that I trust and obey him. So if I’m not being blessed by God, it’s on me.

My Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your abundant blessings. Forgive me for those times I miss out on what you have for me because of sin in my life, because I have taken my eyes off of you. Help me to take responsibility for the choices I make every day. And may I choose you.

If only

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A thought kept going through my mind this morning as I read the first four chapters of Proverbs. “If only I had…”

Solomon talks about paying attention to discipline. Trusting God. Not giving sin a foothold. Guarding my heart. 

If only.

I look back on my life and see the choices I made that led to sin. Had I listened to my parents, trusted God, if I had not ignored the warning signs I wouldn’t be wearing the scars from sins I have committed.

If only.

Now here is wisdom: I can’t repeat the past. There are no do-overs. But I have today. I have forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. And because I have asked for that forgiveness, my sins are washed away and God promises never to remember them ever again. When I confess my sin he is faithful to forgive me and cleanse me from all of it. I’d be foolish to reject this precious gift.

So what will I do with today? Am I going to guard my heart today? Am I going to shut the door on temptation? Am I going to trust God and obey his Word? If I do he promises to show me which paths to take, paths that will bring joy and contentment. If I choose God he promises to walk with me!

I don’t know about you, but I have committed enough sin for one life time. And believe me when I say the momentary pleasure of any sin I’ve committed is not worth the years of regret that follow.

Lord, make me sensitive to your voice. Help me to resist temptation. Defeat Satan in my life today. Grant wisdom and may I choose you.

Are You A Toe?

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In I Chronicles 23-25 you will read a lot of names listed there. These were men who were given the responsibility and privilege of serving God in his temple. 

God calls every one of us to serve, too. Paul likens the Church to a body with hands and feet, fingers and toes, eyes and mouths. No one is called to fulfill the duties of all the parts of the body. A body is not just a toe. But the toe has a necessary function in a healthy body.

As does a finger or an elbow, an ear or an eyelash. A healthy body has every part working at it’s best.

That’s true in a healthy church, too. If I am called to be a finger and I don’t do my best, the hand can operate, but not at it’s best.

I think many churches are operating as cripples because some of us aren’t doing our parts. And some toes are trying to do the work of  fingers.

The question is not, HAS God called me into ministry? The question is, WHERE is God calling me to serve? Your church fellowship needs you. Are you called to sing in the choir, take care of babies in the nursery, be a greeter, sweep the floors, teach a class, visit shut-ins, type a bulletin, care for a web-page, wash dishes. There are tons of opportunities in every church where God wants to use your abilities. 

Tomorrow is Sunday. Are you ready to fulfill your calling? Many people don’t have to wait until the first day of the week. They are busy doing what God has called them to do throughout the week. But my prayer is that you will hear God’s voice, answer his call, and be about doing what you are needed to do in the body of your church.

If we obey God’s call, our church fellowships will be healthier, we will be happier, and all of us will be blessed. Then others will be blessed through us.

And all to the glory of God!

God Loves The Impossible

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Joshua 10 records a pretty amazing event. From a human perspective, Joshua took quite a leap of faith when he prayed a public prayer asking God to stop the sun dead in its tracks. Even if prompted by God, saying something so outrageous would have sounded insane. We know scientifically that if the sun stands still it’s because the earth quit spinning and if that’s the case there would be no gravity and… well… it’s impossible.

But we have a God who loves the impossible! The sun stood still and Israel’s army defeated the enemy.

God loves the impossible.

Including each of us. No one is too far gone for his love and grace to penetrate a heart still beating. The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

And just as God revealed his power that day in what we read in the book of Joshua, he reveals that same power in a changed life today. Nothing is impossible for God. When I read this portion of Joshua I don’t see God asking us to pray for material signs of his power. Moving mountains into the sea or stopping the earth from spinning isn’t the point. I see God telling us to pray for the souls of those we think are too far gone.

President Obama? John Travolta or Tom Cruze? That neighbor down the street or that rebellious person who lives in your home?

God loves the impossible. Let’s pray believing. He can do it.

Dear God, I would ask you to forgive me for not praying like I should. I think way too small for a God as powerful as you. I do pray for our President. Father, even now I would ask that you would bring yourself to his mind, that you would touch his heart, that you would find him ready to give his life to you. I pray for public figures like those who are caught in the lies of Scientology. I pray that they will find Jesus as Savior and would use their celebrity to point others to him, too. I pray for those people close to me who are living ungodly lives, who have drifted from you or denied you. I pray believing that you are able to break through the hardest heart and I’m asking you to do that. Thank you for loving the impossible. Show me what you would have me do to accomplish these things in Jesus’ name.

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

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A new generation of Jews was given the privilege of seeing what their parents and grandparents had seen at the Red Sea. In the book of Joshua we read that God allowed them to cross the Jordan River on dry ground and witness God’s power first hand. The Jews walked into the Promised Land and the people residing there were terrified of them because of God. As they should.

The first city, Jericho, was taken by unconventional battle strategies. But it was God who instructed the Jews to walk around the walled city in silence once a day for six days. Just walk. Say or do nothing else. I can imagine the people of Jericho being terribly afraid the first time they witnessed the silent march around their city. But nothing happened. After the third day of the same thing, the people inside the walls were probably confused. And by the sixth day they were most likely amused. (There go those crazy Jews again. Pass the potatoes)

Here’s the thing about God. He’s not on the same time table we are on. And his ways are very often not our ways. But obedience will always produce the results that bring glory to God and point people to the Savior.

Obedience might not look like that of the priests who took those first steps into the chilly waters of the Jordan River. It might be another difficult first step for us like changing careers, befriending an enemy who needs the Savior, uprooting our family to serve God in another part of the world, or something else God has laid on our hearts. Whatever God is asking you to do, that first step can be a tough one.

Obedience might look like Israel’s army. Silently obeying God, doing the day-to-day things that have no immediate effect. It could be praying for a loved one for years to find the Savior. It might be living a life separate from the world, loving our neighbors and doing good to those who aren’t so good to us. It might be the ordinary every day things that we do in the name of Jesus that draw people to him.

As we read in the book of Joshua, obedience results in blessing. The walls that would keep us out of a close relationship with Jesus come tumbling down when we obey the Father. It might not be easy. And it might not always make sense according to the world’s viewpoint. But if God is in it, what we do in his name will bring about amazing results for our good and his glory.

Father, may you find your people ready and eager to obey you. Even if we don’t understand the logic. Even if what you are asking is outside our comfort zone. Help us to recognize your voice and to block out the voice of the enemy by praying, being students of your written Word. And when you nudge us into action, may we take that first scary step and allow you to do great things in and through us for Jesus’ sake.

Living in the Promised Land

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Deuteronomy begins with Moses reminding Israel of their history and the amazing ways God had brought them to the Promised Land. He wasn’t going across the Jordan with them but he wanted them to go knowing how important it was that they continue to obey God. Follow God, he told them, and you will inhabit the land. Turn from him and you will be driven out. 

Moses predicted that the nation of Israel would lose the land, then said that at some distant time they would return to the Lord and the land would be restored to them. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”

What is the spiritual application? If the Promised Land represents the sanctified life and a close walk with the Lord, then we are warned that when we begin to drift, when we neglect time in his Word and prayer, when we allow our thoughts to turn to sin, we will lose that sweet fellowship with the Savior. We may even wonder where God is or why he’s deserted us. 

But here’s God’s promise: If we seek him with all our heart and soul – truly seek him at the exclusion of all else – we will find him waiting with open arms. He’ll forgive our sins and hold us close as long as we let him.

God wants us to inhabit the Promised Land every bit as much as he wanted Israel to inhabit the land. And he’ll take us back when we seek him with all our hearts and souls, no matter how far we’ve roamed. 

I’m praying that you and I will seek God and enjoy the blessings of living in the Promised Land. That we will know a right relationship with the Creator and the joy that comes from receiving his grace, forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it Jesus, is my plea.
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, Dear Lord, let it be.

Do I Have To?

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We don’t have to obey the Lord. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean God took away our ability to choose. We are not mindless robots.

In Numbers 14 God told the Israelites to go into Canaan. They said, “No”. So God told them to go into the wilderness and they decided to go into Canaan. God warned them of the consequences, but they went ahead and the result ended in their being soundly defeated.

We don’t have to obey. But there are consequences if we don’t. That’s why it’s so important for God’s people to be in the Word, to study it, meditate on it, pray over it, and allow God to reveal himself through those precious pages.

Everything we need to know for life, for love and happiness, for forgiveness and for our daily walk has been lovingly breathed into Scripture by God himself. The rules for living are there. The consequences of disobedience are listed in black and white.

We can choose to live by God’s Word – or not. There are blessings beyond imagination for those who choose obedience. There are devastating consequences for those who choose to ignore God’s Word, for those who disobey.

We don’t have to obey the Lord. But my prayer is that everyone who reads this blog will want to.

Did You Break Your Arm?

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My sisters and I were raised not to expect someone to do something for us that we could do ourselves. If Dad heard one of us ask a sister to get us a drink of water, for example, he’d say “Are your legs broken?” or “Did you break your arm?” So when I read in Numbers 11 about Moses complaining to God and doubting his instructions, I laughed when God said, “Has my arm lost its power?” Made me think of my dad.

God had asked Moses to do something and wanted Moses to know God was able to accomplish great things through him. God had done great things before and he had the power to continue to do great things on behalf of his people.

I think the lesson here is – do we trust God? When he asks us to do something, he doesn’t expect us to do it alone. If he asks, he’ll be right there. Like in my childhood example. If God was asking me to get him the drink of water, he would lift me up and carry me to the faucet if I was willing to obey.

So the question isn’t, are my arms broken. The question is do I trust God’s arms? If he asks us to do something in his name, he’ll be the power behind it when we obey.

God, I pray for your people today. You will ask us to do things. You will prompt us to speak to someone about you, to help a person in need, to give sacrificially of our time and money. I pray that when you do, you will find us trusting you to provide the power we need to get the job done. May you find us faithful and willing to serve. Thank you for promising to be with us as we do.