All we need to do is look around in nature to see that our Great Big Wonderful God is good and perfect in every way. We can see how magnificently He has ordered every aspect of the universe and woven all things together, each creation functioning to support His divine plan and purpose. so that they function beautifully. Our Heavenly Father is a God of order. Making room in our hearts and minds for this truth will bring us clarity in a very confused world. Obedience to Him keeps our feet firmly planted on the path of His blessings. It’s the way we bring His power, love, and grace into our lives, but we must be willing to trust Him and His Will for our us. Not trusting His Will and Word is where we begin to lose our way.
Jesus Christ said in John 14:15(NLT), “If you love me, obey my commandments.” This verse should bring us such joy because our Lord and Master is teaching us how to love him. He’s telling us that our obedience to God’s Word and Will demonstrates our devotion and commitment, but sadly, most people do not see this verse for the jewel that it is. They see obedience as a burden or something that will hinder their fun in life. In truth, obedience gives us life and places us under the covering and safety of the Lord.
1John 1:5(NLT) proclaims, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” Our Heavenly Father is love and light. There is no darkness in Him at all. His brilliance illuminates all that there is, and 2Corinthians 3:17(NLT) says, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” God isn’t playing games with us. He’s a God of purpose, love, power, grace, and freedom, and He wants us to have all those things. He wants to share His riches with us and gives us the great privilege and responsibility to partner with Him in His Will. But He will not force this. We must desire to be led by God and show Him this through our actions.
In the Old Testament, in 1Samuel 15:22(NLT), God’s prophet said to Saul, the king of Israel, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” This is a very important scripture because it reveals the immeasurable value God places on obeying His Word and submitting ourselves to it. He rewards us for this because our obedience conveys our faith in Him, and this is what pleases Him.
1John 5:3(NLT) says, “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” Jesus Christ also tells us in Matthew 11:30(NLT), “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” God sent His Son to the earth to sacrifice his life on the cross for our sins so that we might live. Jesus Christ showed us the way to enjoy God’s blessings, and most importantly, to have a rich and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. He said in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Through his life on earth, he demonstrated a perfect walk of God’s love. He left us an extraordinary blueprint to follow so that we can be as loving, powerful, and full of compassion and generosity as he was. Obedience to God isn’t burdensome. It is life to us!
You might think to yourself, “I can’t do it. I can’t keep up with all the rules in the Bible. It’s too hard.” God tells us in Hebrews 12:2(NLT), “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” As we begin to study His Word and change the way we think, God is the One who transforms us. We’re not alone, and He doesn’t expect us to do it all ourselves. Our Heavenly Father does the heavy work inside us, and His gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit helps us to remain in God’s Will. He helps us to live a successful Christian life, and the more we grow in the Spirit, the better our lives become.
If we place the importance of our desires over and above the importance of being obedient to God, we will live in reverse and remain separated from the blessings we desire most. This isn’t what God wants. He wants us to be obedient to His Word and Will so He can bless us. And we need to know that we can make a shift and begin following Christ at any point in our lives. God will always forgive and help us when we humble ourselves and sincerely ask Him.
Jesus Christ tells us Matthew 6:33(NLT) to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Nothing in our lives should take precedent over our commitment and devotion to live the Word, not our desires for marriage, finances, or anything else. Living God’s Will and Word is our purpose for being on this earth, and if we are obedient and submit ourselves to the Lord, we will live victoriously and free. He will bless us above anything we can ask or think because this is what He has promised, and our wonderful, loving, and powerful God always keeps His promises.■
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Obedience to God’s Will and Word”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.