Key Passage: Psalm 103:19 Supporting Scripture: Genesis 12:1; Joshua 1:8-9; 6:1-20; Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 64:4; Matthew 5:6; 26:39; Mark 4:24; Luke 22:42; Acts 5:29; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 4:25-32; Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 1:9.
Subject: What does Obedient Require?
Obeying God isn't always easy, but it is always the wisest thing to do. Meditating on God's Word, following His instruction, and trusting Him to provide for your needs are the cornerstone of obedience. You will be rewarded with immeasurable blessings when you trust and obey.
Obedience can be defined as doing what God says, how He says, and when He says to do it. We might prefer to redefine it in another way, but this is exactly what the Lord expects of us. Furthermore, He always enables us to do whatever He requires. Yet there may be times when we're afraid to obey Him because we don't know what will happen as a result. Sometimes obedience is costly. However, if we know that He's our loving heavenly Father who always does what's best for us, we'll be able to trust Him and leave all the consequences to Him. Obedience is not always easy, but it's essential if we want to live in accordance with God's will.
Obedience requires the following characteristics. We must be willing to …
Recognize that God is the sovereign ruler of this universe:
Because He allows human beings the freedom to make decisions which sometimes results in heartache, suffering, and even disaster, it may seem like He's not in control; however, Psalm 103: 19 assures us that "His sovereignty rules over all." When we acknowledge His right as the Creator to reign over the earth, we also recognize our responsibility to submit to Him as our authority.
If we're going to obey God, we must believe what He says. Hebrews 11:6 says, "He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." The Lord loves and has chosen the best path for our lives if we will follow Him. But unbelief is the enemy of obedience, and the consequences of rebelling against Him are terrible.
When the Lord picked Joshua to lead His people into the Promised Land, He told him, "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). God knew that as Joshua obeyed, he would face all kinds of difficulties and challenges that required confident boldness. This has been the common experience of all the Lord's prophets and apostles, and it will be the same for us as well. We must be careful not to let fear stop us from fully obeying the Lord.
Wait upon the Lord:
God's timing is always perfect, but from our perspective, it may seem slow. If we focus on the circumstances or the advice of others, we may be tempted to jump ahead of the Lord, but Isaiah 64:4 says, that God "acts in behalf of the one who waits on Him." When we wait for the Lord, we are not sitting idle but are being sensitive to His direction before making decisions. He knows all the facts and the perfect timing for every situation.
Meditate on God's Word. To obey, we must first know what the Lord wants us to do. That's why He told Joshua, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" (Joshua 1:8). To meditate means to mull something over in our minds and reflect on it. If we desire to follow the Lord, the Bible must fill our minds and hearts and become our text for living. Meditation helps us thoughtfully consider His directions, promises, and truths and apply them to our lives. As we read and meditate on His Word, it will challenge us to examine ourselves, and if necessary, change our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors.
Learn to listen to the Lord:
Since so many voices could lead us astray, we must be careful what we listen to (Mark 4:24). God wants to speak to us if we're willing to quietly listen for the Holy Spirit's inaudible voice. Sometimes during prayer, He may lay something on our heart or give us a sense of direction regarding a direction we must make. However, the Lord never tells us anything that contradicts His Word. That's why meditation on the Scripture is essential. It's our source of guidance, comfort, and strength. If a particular passage grabs our attention, we should pause and ask the Lord if He's trying to tell us something. Then as we meditate on those verses, God will begin to shape our minds to think the way He does.
Suffer a head-on collision with the world, if necessary:
When Peter and the disciples were told by the Sanhedrin not to preach the gospel, they said, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). This is the same choice we may be called to make as we live in this world. For example, on the job we could be asked to do something that is contrary to our faith or told not to do something which God commands. There may be times when we have to go against people and their expectations in order to obey the Lord.
Forsake any and all sin:
There is no way to walk obediently with God while tolerating sin in our lives. According to (Ephesians 4:25-31), we are to lay aside all our sinful practices. This doesn't mean we have to be perfect, but when the Holy Spirit convicts us of a particular sin, our first response should be confession, followed by repentance. And if a sin keeps cropping up, we must continually deal with it until it ceases to have a hold on us. AMEN.
Surrender our will to the Lord:
When it comes to obedience, we should have the same attitude as Jesus, who said, "Yet not my will, but Yours be done," (Luke 22:42). Each morning, we need to yield everything to the Lord, wanting only what pleases and honors Him. However, if we don't yield to His will, we'll follow our own desires and eventually suffer the consequences of our disobedience.
Walk where the way is unclear:
God doesn't always give us full understanding of the path He wants us to walk. When He called Abraham, He told him to leave his country and go to the land He would show him (Genesis 12:1). Abraham didn't know where he was going, but God faithfully led him each step of the way. And sometimes that's the way the Lord works in our lives. He doesn't show us the entire picture up front but promises to guide us if we'll take one step of faith at a time.
Read through the requirements of obedience again. Which ones are the hardest for you? Which are the easiest?
How is your obedience affected by your level of trust in the Lord? What circumstances or outcomes cause you to doubt that His way is the best way? What can you do to increase your trust in Him?
Obedience can be costly, confusing, and challenging, if we don't trust that the Lord is faithful in our lives. Our heavenly Father always does what's best for us when we leave all the consequences to Him.
Week # 4 Obedient Question: How does Christ's complete obedience evidence His own deity and humanity?
Week # 4 Application Question: How would our disobedience affect others?
Week # 4 Week # 4 Obedience Bible Quiz: True or False
1. By faith and being warned of God of things already known, Noah obeyed God and built an ark.
2. By faith Abraham obeyed God and went into an unknown country.
3. We are to obey those spiritual leaders that God has placed in our lives.
Week # 4 Prayer:
Father God, we are so honored to be children, we are so blessed to know You and to be able to obey Your Word, but sometimes we don't know how, and when we don't know how to obey You and Your Word, please Father teach us through Your Holy Spirit, and we will follow Your led. Holy Spirit have Your way in our life today, teach us to do God's will for His glory. Christ obeyed You and we desire to obey You too. Please, Holy Spirit teach us to know what is required to obey the Father's will in our lives today. We honor You, we praise You, we give You glory for the work Your Holy Spirit does in our life. Thank You Jesus, for dying for our sins and showing us the importance of obeying the Father. AMEN.
Week # 4 Memory Verse: Psalm 119:11
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
Week # 4 Reading Assignments: I Corinthians 8-14