How to OBEY God's Word?
As I prayed and studied today, I asked God to speak to me, to teach and to instill His Word and will in me; to prepare me for the day and days ahead. I like to think that I trust God and that my faith is strong, when reality (God) tells us that we ALL need to and are able to grow more deeply in our faith each day!
In my daily Bible reading, I recently began the books of Hebrews in the NT and 1 Kings in the OT. Today I was struck by the word OBEDIENCE throughout my reading. Clearly, I realized that my disobedience and my tendency to dismiss God’s instruction or to diminish God’s Word comes way too often and too easily for me. I questioned, “How can one truly prepare themselves to ensure obedience?”
The answer I discerned was FAITH!
Faith is what we rely on to move us to obey and to follow Christ’s teaching; We know God = We trust His word.
Faith is the established bedrock upon which our life is built.
Faith is what motivates, encourages and challenges us to accept, AND OBEY, the Word of God for our lives.
I already knew the answer to my next question, “How do we obtain FAITH?”
I am well acquainted, from experience, that faith is built through hardship and struggle. Many of us, while it’s not fun to experience the hardship, have known the joy, beauty and power that is “on the other side of” a trial. We’ve been there, done it and experienced God’s hand in our lives, carrying us through hardship.
FAITH is a part of our character that is formed in the midst of trials!
FAITH is also obtained by hearing.
God speaks to us...all the time…if we are seeking and listening for His voice. This morning I asked God to speak and, from my devotions, was guided to His words that could ‘preach’ and teach for days!! Romans 10:17 teaches (from Paul) that, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
I was reminded today of the urgent need for us (me) to OBEY God in all things. That might ‘sound’ easy, but it’s NOT! To truly be led, in every step and choice and decision, requires a level of FAITH that many of us (probably MOST of us) have not yet attained. The need is crucial for us to DIG INTO GOD’S WORD and to:
Expect to hear from God through His Spirit
Submit to His word
Believe God’s word!
“Onward Christian Soldiers!”