pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: obedience


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Obedience on the Journey

The obedience that Jesus the man demonstrated is amazing.  Jesus made the choice to obey God over and over and over.  The major example we think of is the cross – the place where Jesus paid for all of our sins with His life.  At the end of a life and ministry build upon loving people, Jesus demonstrated the depth of His love by obeying God’s will on the cross.

Sometimes I find it easier to be faithful on the big things.  For example, cheating on my taxes or stealing from the store bear big consequences that I am not willing to risk, so I do what is right instead.  But the little things can catch me so easily.  The unkind thought crosses my mind or the hurtful words slip out so effortlessly.  Often they are followed quickly by remorse or an aplogy, but sometimes there is a delay.  It is a struggle to always be obedient.

Jesus lived a life without sin until that momet when He took our sin upon Himself on the cross. A life without sin.  Just think for a moment about being that obedient to following God’s will.  For Jesus, obedience extended beyond simply not sinning.  It also meant being obedient to going where God called Him to go and to doing what God led Him to do.  What a depth of love for the Father that Jesus had!

The reality for us is that Jesus is our example to follow.  I am far from being without sin and have a long way to go to be fully obedient.  But God does not expect perfection or for me to ever reach perfection.  He only expects my love and my continuing on the journey to grow to be more and more and more like Christ.  Lord God, bless this journey.

Scripture reference: Hebrews 10: 5-10


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Promises

In today’s psalm is the root of the promise that our faith rests upon.  God promises David that a descendant of his will always be on the throne of Zion, God’s chosen resting place.  Jesus was the last in David’s human line.  The resurrected Jesus completes the ‘forever’ part of God’s promise as He leads us from beside God’s throne.

In Jesus we see God’s love poured out as He kept this promise.  This should be no surprise as God always keeps His promises.  Just as God chose Zion, through Jesus Christ He chooses you and me as well.  We are each God’s beloved children.  But sometimes we forget that.  Sometimes we turn our relationship with God into a relationship like our other human relationships.  Sometimes our relationship with God digresses to bartering, dealing, if-then statements.  If I go to church, then God will…  If I help my neighbor, then God will…

But God does not promise us an if-then relationship.  He does not love us more or less based on our actions, words, and deeds.  He simply loves us.  He simply loves us.  The gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ is God’s unmerited, no-strings-attached, free gift to us, His children.

Jesus was and is the embodiment of God’s love.  This is why Jesus brought and offered this gift for you and me.  When we are tempted to slip back into the wheeling and dealing relationship, we must remember Jesus’ example of perfect obedience to the Father’s will.  When we want to pick and choose when to be a Christian, we must remember how Jesus loved all who came to Him, no matter the time of day or season.  And when we question, when we falter, we must remember Jesus’ promise as well: I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.

Scripture reference: Psalm 132: 10-18


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Part of God’s Story

Jeremiah 29:11 promises us that God has plans for each of us, plans for good.  God also allowed free will into the world so we each have the choice to live into God’s plans or to follow our own plans.  For any of us, we seek to live our lives as a child of God but we also venture down our own roads from time to time.  As we mature and grow in our faith, we learn to stay attuned to God’s plans and purposes for our lives more and more of the time.

The Bible, or God’s story, is filled with ordinary people doing small things to remain faithful who are used in extraordinary ways.  Today’s story features two widows and a farmer.  Through their simple acts of self-giving love they become part of the lineage of Jesus.  Another story features a shepherd boy, the youngest in the family, who slays the giant and eventually becomes king.  One of my favorites is about the fishermen, tax collector, .. who become the disciples and come to change the world forever.  Each of these ordinary people became part of God’s story and are a part of our story as well.

God also calls each of us to be a part of His ongoing story.  Each and every day God brings before us opportunities to serve others with self-giving love and to share our story with others.  Sometimes the small things we do or the little pieces of our story that we share make a big difference in another’s life.  Many times we do not know about this affect or impact.  At other times the whisper of the Holy Spirit is harder to hear or we find it easier to ignore.  We must be attuned to the whispers and nudges and must seek to live into the will of God.  We must be open to those whispers and nudges even when our first reaction is to ignore them or to think, ‘Really?’  The Lord requires of us the same things  he did of Naomi, Ruth, Boaz, David, te disciples… – trust and obedience.  We must remember that God has us each in the palm of His hand.  Lord, make us willing and obedient to the call to be your loving servant today.

Scripture reference: Ruth 3: 1-5 and 4:13-17


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He Is Calling

One afternoon while out moving the sheep Moses encountered God.  It was not in church during a moving song or inspiring message. Nope.  It was out in the wilderness.   Once God had Moses’ attention, He sent Moses off to do some work for God’s people.

Do you ever hear God calling?  There is no doubt – He is calling.  The question is whether or not we hear (and sometimes whether we listen to) the call.  Sometimes God’s till small voice comes in the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes it comes in the words another speaks into our life.  Sometimes it comes in the form of one in need who crosses our path.  And sometimes it comes from a sudden event, one that forces us to look within and there we see what God is calling us to.

Tuning into God’s call requires surrender and obedience.  God has great plans for each and every one of us who call on His name.  May we listen well when His call comes in!

Scripture reference: Exodus 3: 1-15


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He Is Faithul and True

At the end, after we have walked through a difficult time or situation, we often shed tears.  Some are tears of relief, happy that the ordeal has passed.  Some are tears of pain, brought on when we realize what we have been through.  Some are tears of sadness, offering grief for something lost.  And some are tears of joy, grateful for God’s presence, love, and guidance as He walked with us through the event or situation.

Often when we look back we can see God’s hand all over the events that have transpired.  Joseph could look back over his journey from being sold into slavery to his rise to second in command in Egypt and see God at work in his life.  This is what allowed him to offer love, forgiveness, and assistance to the brothers that sold him into slavery.  He could see God’s hand at work and was obedient to where God led him.

Our faith too calls us to be obedient to God.  In times of hardship that may be difficult.  We naturally want to rely on our own abilities and strengths.  Yet it is in these times that God most wants to carry us.  Just like we as parents want to scooop up our child and rescue them when they are struggling or hurting, our heavenly Father desires to do the same.  Through faith and obedience, we can lean into and on our loving Father, for He is also faithful and true.

In Zephaniah 3:17 we read these words of encouragement: “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Scripture reference: Geneis 45: 9-15


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Finding True Joy

In the Old Testament people followed the word of God, mostly recorded in the Torah.  Early followers found joy living according to God’s ways.  Over time though, the law became cumbersome and burdensome.  The obedience that brought joy was replaced by 613 laws that were almost impossible to follow and brought condemnation and judgment.

In the New Testament the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Jesus’ yoke was easy and the burden light.  Obedience and joy in a life following Jesus came down to two ‘laws’ – love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love you neighbor as yourself.  After Jesus’ death and resurrection, God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and to guide us on the path that Jesus laid out.

In the Old Testament, a life lived for God hinged upon prayer, study, worship, and obedience to His commands.  Today our faith rests upon these same practices.  Through these habits or disciplines, we incline our hearts and minds toward God.  It is then that we walk His path and find our true joy.

Scripture reference: Psalm 119: 105-112


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Set on “Radical”

Early in our faith, Moses directed us to be a holy people, because our God is holy. Actually he directed the Israelites, but it applies to Christians today as well! In the original language of Hebrews the word was “qadash'” and it meant to consecrate, to dedicate, to sanctify our lives. It was and is meant as a mandate to live a life set apart from the worldly way of life. When we dedicate, sanctify, or consecrate our lives to God we are being called into an obedience to live as God’s representatives in this world. Our radical obedience to God’s call in our lives will set us apart.

Yet so often we are neither radical nor obedient. Does our daily walk of faith truly represent a holy God? Does our walk obediently tread where God is leading or where He is pointing us to go? Does our faith extend beyond Sunday morning worship AND outside the walls of the church? Or is our obedience and holiness limited?

God’s grace, love, and mercy for us are not limited. He does not ever hold any of this back from us. And so it should be with our obedience and our holy walk of faith. Our holiness should reflect a God who is loving and caring for all humanity, all of the time. Our obedience should be set on ‘radical’ constantly!