OBEYING THE VOICE OF GOD
Exodus 19:5-8 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
[6] And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and anholy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
[7] And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
[8] And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Here in our text, the children of Israel had pitched their tents in the wilderness. They were in need of direction, they needed someone to lead them. If there was ever a time they needed to hear from God, it was now. The Lord called unto Moses to lead HIS people and gave him a promise, IF he would obey HIS voice…the blessings from God’s Hand would follow. Hallelujah! The Lord reminded Moses, “all theearth is mine.” In other words, Moses…YOU are mine and these are my people, the whole earth is mine and I will bless you beyond measure IF you will listen to my voice. The Lord is worthy of wholehearted, passionate submission but doesn’t often get it. Are you among the few who offer themselves to HIM without reservation?
Complete obedience is a choice to follow God regardless of the consequences. This means that we obey the Lord even if our friends choose a different path or when suffering and embarrassment are guaranteed. Seeing HIS will done is more important than our own comfort or personal ambition. We commit the consequences to God and cling to HIS promises: HE will never leave us (Deut 31:6), and HE makes good out of every situation (Rom. 8:28).
The thought for today is not about obedience that is born of the moment (as in, I choose to follow God in this instance) but about total submission as a way of life. Setting restrictions on compliance is so tempting—we want to be able to change our mind when obeying upsets our lifestyle, the final result is unclear, or we’re just plain scared. My friend, no Christian is immune to the moments in life when you can NOT see around the bend. When the next step is absolute FAITH because the way is NOT clear. When you want to step out of the boat, but you have NEVER walked on water. Let me ask you this one sobering question: If Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, what right do you have to limit how and when you’ll do HIS will?
As Blood bought believers, we have no right to set our own limits; our one criteria for making decisions should be, What does God want me to do? The answer at times may cause suffering, but obedience is always right. Sometimes, obeying the Lord may NOT always add up, it may go against all of man’s wisdom and others may think we have lost our minds. When in reality, spiritually, we are just lost IN HIM, seeking HIM and HIS will. Lord help us today, to seek YOU with all our hearts. Teach us to TRUST AND OBEY in all things, knowing following YOU is the surest path to favor, blessings, andspiritual growth.
Bro. Lawrence Longworth
Isaiah 61:1 “the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
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