HOW CAN I BECOME A MORE OBEDIENT CHILD OF GOD? (GEN. 12:1)
OBEDIENCE IS A MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC OF A PERSON MIGHTY IN SPIRIT. GENERALLY SPEAKING OBEDIENCE CHARACTERIZED THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM FROM HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH GOD UNTIL HIS DEATH.
1. ALL OBEDIENCE BEGINS WITH FAITH IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
IF WE FAIL TO BELIEVE IN GOD'S SOVEREIGTY, WE WILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO OBEY HIM. ABRAHAM BASED HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ON HIS CONFIDENCE THAT GOD WOULD DO WHAT HE HAD PROMISE (ROM.4:20, 21). UNTIL WE STUDY AND MEDITATE ON GOD'S WORD, WE WILL NEVER LEARN TO TRUST HIM. FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD AND RESPONDING IN CONFIDENT TRUST.(ROM 10:17)
2. WE GROW IN OBEDIENCE BY WAITING FOR GOD'S TIMING
GOD IS VERY TIME CONSCIOUS-NOT IN TERMS OF MINUTES AND SECONDS. BUT IN REGARD TO OUR ACTING IN OBEDIENCE ACCORDING TO HIS SCHEDULE. THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES WE FIND HIM MOVING "IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME" (SEE GALATIANS 4:4) HE IS NEITHER EARLY NOR LATE. EVER.
3. WE CONTINUE TO GROW IN OBEDIENCE BY REFUSING TO SUBJECT GOD'S PLAN TO "COMMON SENSE" OR THE REASONING OF THE WORLD.
SOME THINGS THAT GOD REQUIRES LOOK RIDICULOUS FROM A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE. GOD TOLD ABRAHAM HE WOULD HAVE A SON THROUGH WHOM HE WOULD BLESS THE ENTIRE WORLD. YET HE ALLOWED ABRAHAM'S OBEDIENCE TO BE SEVERELY TESTED-FIRST BY REQUIRING HIM TO OFFER ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE. WHEN GOD SAW THE OBEDIENCE OF ABRAHAM'S HEART, HE PROVIDED A RAM IN ISAAC'S PLACE.
4. THE FINAL STEP: PROMPT OBEDIENCE.
IF YOU LONG TO OBEY GOD, YOU WILL NOT HESITATE WHEN HE TELLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING. MANY TIMES WE FAIL TO OBEY GOD BECAUSE WE FEAR OF CONSEQUENCES. YET HE NEVER REQUIRES US TO DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES. OUR ONLY RESPONSIBILTY IS OBEY; GOD'S RESPONSIBILTY IS TAKE CARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR OBEDIENCE.
OUR SENSITIVITY TO GOD'S WILL INCREASES AS WE OBEY HIM. ALONG THE WAY, HE PROVIDES GLIMPSES OF THE BLESSINGS WAITING FOR US. GOD ALWAYS BLESSES OBEDIENCE. YOU CAN TRUST HIM, OBEY HIM , AND BE BLESSED. OR YOU CAN DISOBEY HIM AND SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WONDERING WHAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE HAD YOU HIM. ONCE YOU GLIMPSE THE BLESSINS OF OBEDIENCE,HOWEVER, THE CONSEQUENCES NO LONGER MATTER.
