Obedience

February 21st – Romans 13:12

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Romans 13:12

Think back over the last few days. How much of what you did was based on the thought of the coming of the Lord? If you’re like me, you’ll have to admit, “Not much.” Because often I get caught up with day to day life, forgetting the big picture. That picture being Jesus is coming, and I should be living each day in light of that great future event. For Paul warns the time is near, and Christ’s return is coming closer with every passing moment. So we need to be alert, awake, and armed with the weapon of the Light of God’s truth. Meaning each day intentionally walking in obedience, sharing the Gospel, and most importantly of all, living in love. Time is ticking. Soon the darkness while be forever overcome by the Light. But until then, we must make good use of the time left, pointing others to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

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February 18th – Romans 13:8

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Romans 13:8

Freedom from debt is an exhilarating feeling. And owing nothing to a creditor or the taxman is a liberation that God wants for each of us. But there is one debt that we owe and can never fully pay off. And that is the debt of loving each other. Every day we wake up owing this debt. And every day is an opportunity to pay on it. God takes this debt so seriously, that in the Bible from start to finish, He gives the commandment to love one another. So if we are followers of Jesus and are truly becoming transformed into His image and likeness, we need to be faithful in paying our debt. That means loving others as God does. For the very foundation of Christianity is love. And in one of the greatest acts of love, God became flesh and allowed Himself to be nailed to a Cross to pay our debt. And out of hearts of obedience and thankfulness, we too need to follow His example of selflessness and let love for others be the guiding light in all that we do.

 

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February 12th – Deuteronomy 7:9

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Deuteronomy 7:9

Why does Moses call God “the faithful God”? To be faithful is to to be steadfast, enduring, dependable, loyal, and trustworthy. Attributes God demonstrates perfectly. Despite their rebellion and unbelief, God stayed faithful to Israel. Remembering His promises to their forefathers, the Lord kept His covenant with His people, and remained steadfast in His love for them. Everywhere I look I see the faithfulness of God. I see it in the needs He so generously meets. In the family and friends He blesses my life with. In the mercy and grace He patiently shows each day, and most of all in His never ending love. Such abundant devotion that He gives not because I love Him, but because He loves me. A faithfulness that turns my brokenness into healing, condemnation into redemption, bitterness into love, bondage into freedom, sin into righteousness, and my death into eternal life.

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January 23rd – Luke 1:25

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Luke 1:25

Year after year Elizabeth and her husband prayed for a child. And year after year their prayers went unanswered. Yet as the years passed and the waiting continued, never did Elizabeth gave up on God or on her life serving Him. Instead she continued walking in obedience and trusting in whatever plans He had for her life. And as He so loves to do, God rewarded Elizabeth’s faithfulness. At the age of around 60, she became pregnant with a son. Not just any son, but the promised messenger of God. The one who would proclaim the soon to be born Messiah and prepare the way of the Lord! (Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1) Because of her great faith and obedience God not only blessed Elizabeth with a child, through her, He fulfilled a promise made to Israel hundreds of years before her birth. Isn’t that just like God! He loves to bestow upon His children blessings far greater than we could ever imagine!

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January 17th – Psalm 95:7

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Psalm 95:7

Throughout the the book of Exodus, we learn of the travels of the Israelites as they fled Egypt. Like the Israelites, we too are on an exodus. We are partners with Jesus who leads us on our journey to the Promised Land of Heaven, where we will dwell with Him forever.  And just like the Israelites, our exodus requires trust and faith and obedience.  If we are faithful partners with Christ on “the journey” we can also hope to be partners with Him in eternity and enter into His rest. No matter how great your trial may be, no matter how bad your circumstances are, if you just have faith to trust God to see you through to the other side, your heart will remain soft and eager to obey Him.  You’ll rejoice, thank God even for the trial, because you know, “the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods” (v. 3) who is able to save and deliver you.

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December 24th – Luke 1:45

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Luke 1:45

We all want to be chosen by God to do great things. But if He did appoint a task for us alone to fulfill, how would we feel? I often imagine how Mary must have felt hearing the glorious news she was to carry the Savior of the world. Was she scared, excited, overwhelmed? Did she laugh, cry, or stand frozen in shock? Of the many emotions Mary must have felt, the one she didn’t feel was disbelief. For after asking how this miracle would come to be and hearing, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35), Mary simply replied, “may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) The example of strength and obedience shown by Mary is something to behold. Her unshakable faith led to God to bless her greatly. And just as He did for Mary, God will bless our faith as well!

 

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December 20th – Genesis 28:15

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Genesis 28:15

When God called Jacob out of Canaan, He did so with a great promise. No matter what God would always be there, never leaving or forsaking Jacob. When God puts a dream in our hearts or a calling to step out in faith, it can be scary. Because when things don’t happen when or how we like, discouragement and self pity can set in. We can start to question God and give in to fear. But we must remember that whether we feel Him or not, God is always there. And when we put faith over fear, we can have peace. Because whatever plan God has, He will see us through from start to finish. Psalm 122:3 reminds us that our Father never slumbers, always keeping His watchful eye on us day and night. No matter what God commands us to do we can have joy and confidence knowing He has a plan for each of us. And when we put our faith in Him, the Lord with us step by step along the way!

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December 18th – Matthew 1:24

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Matthew 1:24

When we see the nativity scene, we are reminded of the precious gift of our Savior. But also found in that stable is a reminder of the faithfulness of a man named Joseph. A man who stands in the shadows, but whose obedience to God is a lesson for us all. Obedience is a daily struggle for me. Too often I find it easier to ask forgiveness for my disobedience than to be obedient in the first place. But not Joseph. When he found his fiancé pregnant yet still claiming to be a virgin, Joseph could have turned Mary away. But instead, when an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and commanded him to take Mary as his bride, Joseph obeyed. And as a result he was blessed with the awesome job of caring for God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Oh how awesome is our Father in heaven! When we deserve nothing, He blesses our obedience richly, and gives us everything!

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December 14th – Joshua 21:45

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Joshua 21:45

Jesus is the promised Messiah, our Savior who gave His life to redeem us from our sins. At Christmas we celebrate His glorious birth as a fulfillment of the promises of God. And as heirs through Christ’s blood, we can rightfully claim those promises. Everyday people fail us. They hurt, betray, and fail to keep their word. But not God. His promises will never fail, His Word is flawless, right, and true. I love how Dwight L. Moody said, “God never made a promise that was too good to be true.” Faith placed in God is never misplaced. For He can be fully trusted, always and forever. So no matter the situation you may be facing right this very minute, trust God. Wait patiently and obediently for Him, and God will fulfill His promises to us just as He did for the Israelites. And He will fulfill them in ways that are far greater than anything we could ever imagine!

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December 10th – Luke 1:45

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Luke 1:45

When I think of Mary, a young girl of 12 or 13, I’m always blown away by her faith and obedience. The angel Gabriel came to her saying she would soon become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. And without blinking an eye, she believed and obeyed. Because of her faithful actions, Mary received God’s great blessing of being the one to bring His precious Son into the world. We too will have times when God calls us to do something great. And our response is everything. Because our heavenly Father wants to bless us as greatly as He did Mary. And all we have to do is have the same faith as a young girl, believing and obeying. As followers of Christ, like Mary, we too are favored by God. So with the heart of Mary, be brave, faithful, and open to His calling. Because if we are, watch how God, through us, will do awesome and amazing things! Things greater than we could ever imagine.

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