Tag Archives: obeying God

July 6 – Scared Courage

2 Kings 9-11

Has God ever asked you to do anything really scary? Maybe change careers, confront a loved one about sin in their life, talk to your neighbor about Jesus? It’s ok to be afraid – as long as you obey.

Someone has said courage is fear in action. It is not absence of fear.

Elisha asked a young man to go to Jehu, anoint him king over Israel, then flee. That sounds like a dangerous mission to me. King Joram and King Ahaziah were both firmly established as kings of Judah and Israel at the time. What Elisha asked his servant to do was treason. It could cost him his life.

The young man demonstrated courage by obeying. But I have to confess I had a laugh-outloud moment when I read about it in chapter 9.

The servant approached Jehu who was sitting with his buddies. “Can I talk to you privately?” the servant asked. Jehu might have rolled his eyes, and gave his pals a quick smirk. But he went with the servant into the house. The servant poured oil on Jehu’s head, then told him what God had said to Elisha about Jehu becoming King of Israel. Then, and this is what made me laugh, the servant turned tail and ran out of the house, leaving an oily and surprised Jehu in his wake.

I pictured someone opening a door a crack to throw a bone to a snarling, barking doberman, then slamming the door shut as fast as they can, and running away.

Actually, the servant had reason to get out of there as fast as he could. What he had just done was really, really scary.

That’s what God asks of us. We don’t have to conquer our fear before we do what God has laid on our hearts. We just need to give that fear to God – and obey. God will give us the courage exactly when we need it, if we but trust Him. He will go with us, give us words to say, and get the job done, even if our knees are weak and our hands are shaking.

You might want to put on your running shoes. God has something for you to do today.

July 1 – The Deceiver Isn’t God

I Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18

Micaiah’s vision has me thinking. It sounds like God allowed one of His angels to cause the prophets to lie. Does God make people sin in order to get His will done? That just doesn’t fit with God’s nature, the One who demands we be holy, the One who loved the world that He gave His Son that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved.

I don’t remember any Scripture that describes God as being the deceiver. Yet here it is: “The Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets…”

I went to Matthew Henry to see his take on these verses. He says the spirit who volunteered to deceive Ahab was Satan himself.

So I re-read the passage and noticed that Micaiah saw the Lord on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing on either side of Him. Then a spirit came forward. I had assumed it was one of the heavenly hosts. But I see now it was the deceiver.

This vision reminds me of what we read about Job. Satan doesn’t make a move without God allowing it. And, if God allows Satan to make a move, God has every means to use it to show Himself, to draw people to Himself.

I need to be aware that Satan is standing out there ready to trip me up, to throw those daggers, to put a little doubt in my head. I can be assured that God will never be surprised by Satan’s attacks. And that no matter what God allows Satan to throw my way, God is able to handle it far and above what I can imagine.

I don’t want to be like those prophets I read about today, who ran with Satan’s lies. I want to be like Micaiah and stay true to the Lord. Even if the backlash is prison, or sickness, or hardship, or death.

Feb 2 – Tweaking the Truth

Exodus 10-12

Have you ever tried to bargain with God? How did that work out for you? Did you ever keep your end of the bargain? Or was God the only one held to that standard?

As I read about the last of the plagues today, it occurred to me that Pharaoh is an example of what happens when we try to negotiate with God. Moses told Pharaoh God wanted all Jews and their livestock to leave Egypt. Pharaoh, after being warned about the locusts that would destroy his crops, said ‘Sure. Go. But only the men.’ Moses didn’t take him up on that. It wasn’t what God required.

Then, after the locusts came like Moses said they would, and after complete darkness fell on Egypt for three days, Pharaoh relented. ‘Ok. Everybody can go. But leave the animals.’ Again, that wasn’t what Moses needed to hear.

The thing is, God gave a directive: ALL Israelites and ALL livestock are to leave.

Pharaoh was ready to obey – kind of. He just wanted to obey on his own terms.

It struck me when Pharaoh said to Moses, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once…that He would remove this death from me” (10:16-17)

Each time Pharaoh heard God’s command, then tried to tweak it, his heart grew harder and harder. Somehow he thought if he gave in a little, God would be ok with that. Then he must have thought if he let God forgive him a little bit, he’d escape the bad things that were happening.

Friend, I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it says God wants us to kind of obey Him. I don’t see anywhere where it says if we give Him a portion of our hearts, He will bless us. Let’s face it. God is Who He says He is. And if He says something, we can’t tweak it to fit our own desires.

Be holy as I am holy.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one goes to the Father except through Me.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.

You can try to tweak it, but that doesn’t change the Truth. So don’t even try. God demands complete obedience, complete surrender. Anything else is disobedience. Period.

Father, I pray for those reading this blog today. May we be students of Your Word so we know exactly what it is You are demanding of us. Convict us when we are tempted to obey You with anything less than everything. May we confess, repent, and be the people You demand. And may you find us willing to serve You with our whole hearts.