OBEDIENCE DEMONSTRATES OUR WORSHIP OF CHRIST

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”—Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Obedience is fundamentally rooted in trust, and shows our worship and appreciation of Christ.  We identify with Christ, as our Lord, not just in words, but also in deeds that demonstrate our words through practice and action, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).

 

In Deuteronomy chapter 30, we can see a clear comparison of the blessings of obedience, and the curse of disobedience.  Our human sinful nature leads us to do our own thing, and the society that we live in thrives upon it.  However, God is calling us to love, trust and obey Him.  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

 

When we practice obedience, it means we are not ashamed of the Gospel, as Paul proclaimed in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believers, for the Jew first and also for the Greek,” so that our devotion becomes contagious to those around us.

 

Obedience is not something we dread, or feel we have to do, nor is it bondage in a negative sense. It is the joy of knowing our Lord, trusting and staying with Him so that we can partake in His love and grow in Him further, deeper, and stronger. The result is that we become more mature and become willing to express His love with eagerness to others.

 

Prayer—Father I repent of the times I have not trusted You and have chosen to be disobedient to Your will for my life.  I ask you to forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness according to your Word.  Lord I ask You to help me fully trust You and be obedient to You.  I choose to worship You in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

OBEDIENCE AND TRUST PARTNERS IN BLESSINGS

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”—Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Obedience is fundamentally rooted in trust, and shows our worship and appreciation to Christ.  We identify with Christ as our Lord not just in words, but also in deeds that demonstrate our words through practice and action, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).

 

In Deuteronomy chapter 30, we can see a clear comparison of the blessings of obedience, and the curse of disobedience.  Our human sinful nature leads us to do our own thing, and the society that we live in thrives upon it.  However, God is calling us to love, trust and obey Him.  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

 

When we practice obedience, it means we are not ashamed of the Gospel, as Paul proclaimed in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believers, for the Jew first and also for the Greek,” so that our devotion becomes contagious to those around us.

 

Obedience is not something we dread, or feel we have to do, nor is it bondage in a negative sense. It is the joy of knowing our Lord, trusting and staying with Him so we can partake in His love and grow in Him further, deeper, and stronger. The result is that we become more mature and become willing to express His love with eagerness to others.

 

Prayer—Father I repent of the times I have not trusted You and have chosen to be disobedient to Your will for my life.  I ask you to forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness according to your Word.  Lord I ask You to help me fully trust You and be obedient to You.  I choose to worship you in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

OBEDIENCE CAN STOP DANGER

“Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. “—Proverbs 19:27

 

Listening to God is not a onetime event.  We must continually keep His Word before us, or we'll begin to listen to the wrong voices.

 

 In what is commonly called the Christmas story in American culture, is the narrative of how Joseph was warned in a dream that it was God’s plan for him to marry his fiancée, Mary,

 

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18-20).

 

After the dream, Joseph awoke from sleep and immediately took Mary to him as his wife (vs. 24).  In Matthew chapter two, Joseph is warned again by God to leave Bethlehem and to flee Egypt.  He was warned to stay in Egypt until the angel brought word that it was safe for the young child, Jesus (vs. 13-14).  Again, Joseph immediately obeys.  We have a record that Joseph listened to God at least twice more concerning the protection of the child, Jesus.  The lesson that can be learned is that when God speaks to us, it is good to immediately obey for it can thwart possible danger.

 

In Genesis 2:16-17, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  The Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  But Eve began to listen to another voice and did not hold steadfastly to her Creator's words.  All that Satan had to do was plant a single doubt about God's integrity and offer Eve one appealing advantage of doing things her own way—and she fell for it.  He mentioned wisdom, but Eve used natural reasoning, and added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.

 

The schemes of the enemy have not changed.  He still whispers lies and twists truth to convince us that a) God cannot be trusted and b) His ways are not the best.  In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way.

 

The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, consider the messages that are sent your way through the media and people. Consciously begin to compare them to what scripture says about God and His ways.

 

Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Daily devotions won't protect us if they're quickly forgotten during the day.   Follow Christ's example (found in Matthew 4:1-11) and, be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes.

 

Prayer—Father, I repent for the times that I have not listen to You and have reaped the rewards of a rebellious heart.  Today I purpose in my heart to listen to You and to put aside my own natural reasoning so that I can immediately obey You in all things, in Jesus’ Name.   Amen.

 

FINANCIAL HEALTH IS INTERDEPENDENT TO GOD

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.”—Psalm 24:1

 

A serious error is alive in the thinking of many Christians. Some Christians think that their beliefs and their wallet belong in separate areas. However, the truth remains the same:  financial health and obedience to God are inseparable.  He owns everything, “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8).  Cash, possessions, and ways to earn more are gifts from the Lord; we are simply stewards, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).)

 

A steward oversees the use and care of someone else’s riches.  “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” 1 Corinthians 4:2.  A wise steward bases financial decisions upon the owner’s rules for using and multiplying material goods.  In our case, God has woven financial principles into the fabric of Scripture.  Since money touches nearly every aspect of life, it is mentioned over 2,000 times in many different contexts.   For example, God urged the Israelites to stay faithful to His teachings and to avoid the trap of self-reliance, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18).  He reminded them that the power to make wealth resides with Him rather than in their own hands, and remember everything that we do in the kingdom of God involves faith.

 

The minute a steward presumes that he owns the money he manages, mistakes are made.  He stops consulting the Owner and spends as he sees fit.  Even in trying to do well, the wayward steward is ruled by his shortsighted perspective rather than God’s omnipotent view and gentle guidance.  He will suffer the consequences of violating Scripture’s financial principles.

 

Faith and finances are permanently intertwined.  A believe must understand that he or she cannot keep his or her  money out of God’s hand, because He holds it all—he or she is simply managing it.  

 

Prayer—Father I repent and ask You to forgive me for the times that I have not used wisdom in my financial decisions and mismanaged Your money.  I surrender my finances to You and I thank You for Your wisdom directing me in all of my decisions, big and small.  I purpose in my heart to remain faithful in what You have entrusted to me, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.