“OBEDIENCE”

Usually from the moment a couple conceives a child they begin to speculate who the child will look like, the color of its hair or the eyes. Will it be a boy or a girl? Will the child be healthy? Most likely they decide they will have to move to find more suitable housing for a “family.” They talk about the location they might possibly move to, the foods they will feed the child, what activities they will involve the child in. They begin to talk about the process of raising that child. The rules they will have, etc. As I have gone through some terrible growing pains, (due to a Revival I attended, some devotions I have read of late and some sermons my husband has preached) in the last few weeks I began to think of how God had my life all planned out before I was even a thought in the mind of my parents. He had the course all set of where I would be, what I would do, where I would live and who I would be with. He had the rules in place. The Ten Commandments were already “set in stone” so to speak before I was brought into this world. We, as parents, have certain standards we set for our children and we put rules in place we expect for them to follow. In no uncertain terms we lay down the law and we expect them to obey! We explain to them if they follow the rules there will be privileges given and if they do not there will be consequences to pay. God has done the same for us. He gave us rules to live by and set a standard for us as His children and even gave us the Bible as the Plumb line for our lives. He gave example after example of how we are to live. He promised blessings if we obeyed and warned of consequences for disobedience. Sometimes in life when things do not go exactly as we expect we try to change the rules to fit our own needs and desires and if it’s not in line with God’s way, we sometimes find ourselves the victim of circumstance. Many times those circumstances come our way with no warning. They were not pre-planned; they just fall into place. However, the outcome, whether blessing or burden, all depends on how we deal with the situation. Sometimes we willingly turn a blind eye and do as we please. We make excuses and try to justify our actions to fit our own selfish desires. We put other things and people before God and His service, thus disobeying His commands. We stupidly think our way could somehow be better than His!!!! BUT, we can make wise choices in wrong circumstances and still come out on the winning side. We must remember that what satan means for bad God can completely turn inside out and make it good. What satan twists and binds God unwinds to make it perfect. When we fall into sin and temptation we have been given a way out of it, but when we willingly continue to stay in the way of it, we reap the consequences. We have to diligently seek God’s direction and ask for forgiveness of the wrongdoing on our part and then run the other way. We need to repent and begin to seek the right way. Sometimes obedience can be difficult especially when it doesn’t feel fair or right to us. We need to realize just because it feels good or right does not mean that it is, understanding satan is very cunning and clever to deceive us into thinking it is. If we do not obey God’s leading we become a slave to sin and once sin is conceived it gives way to death. (James 1:15) But if we begin to come under subjection to the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance and repent from our wrong doing and thinking, He will reward us with His righteousness. I, myself, want all that God has to offer me and all the blessings that He has promised to send my way if I will but humble myself to Him. Therefore I have made the conscience decision to obey God. Although at times obedience may seem difficult, I know the outcome will only be for my benefit and my growth.

“Do you not know that if you offer yourselves

to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves

of that one you obey--either of sin leading to death

or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
Romans 6:16