“OBEDIENCE”
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2). So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3). Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4). If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5). Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 6). For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. PROVERBS 2:1-6
Despite Peter’s vast fishing experience, he returned from a night’s work with nothing to show for his efforts. It’s quite possible that the Lord’s request to let the nets down one more time struck him as unreasonable—after all, Peter and his partners were the professionals. Nevertheless, the fisherman complied, and his obedience blessed many.
Scripture demonstrates that divine plans often defy human logic. For instance, who would design a battle strategy that involved only marching and shouting? God told Joshua to conquer Jericho that way, and doing so proved successful (Joshua 6:1-5).
Moses is another example. When he felt unsure about his leadership potential, the Lord gave reassurance in an unusual way—by telling him to throw down his walking stick. When Moses obeyed, God powerfully confirmed His choice of leader (Exodus 4:1-3).
Our Father may ask us to do something that seems illogical—perhaps to accept more responsibility when we were hoping to reduce our workload, to leave a position that He provided just recently, or to take on an assignment for which we feel ill-equipped. His plan might feel unrealistic in view of our age, stage of life, or health concerns. We must press forward in obedience, regardless of how impractical the request may appear.
To grasp the importance of obeying, think about children receiving instructions from parents or teachers. Careful listening is needed for the task to be done safely and properly. Some steps may seem pointless, but the rationale often becomes clear later. Always make obeying God your priority.
-IBC
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