“When I choose to obey His leading, He will reward me with His power, Presence and supernatural blessing.”
Priscilla Shirer
As a newlywed in 1977, my sister got on The Price is Right game show and won both showcases! How exciting it was for her to win rooms full of furniture, until it came time to pay income tax on her winnings. Another popular game show today is Let’s Make a Deal. The host offers deals to a few audience members and they have to decide if the offer is a valuable prize or an undesirable one. Our lives are filled with opportunities to make a deal, but there’s no better deal to make than what obedience has to offer.
Early on in my Christian walk, I attended an Elisabeth Elliott retreat. This woman of God emphasized over and over again, “Obedience brings blessing.” That phrase became a foundation stone to stand on.
God has asked me to do things I was afraid of, such as speaking and going on short-term mission trips to unsafe places. He’s asked me to ignore my fear of man and give my then 59-year-old Mom her first doll for Christmas, pressing through the “What will Dad think,” thoughts. He’s asked me to make great sacrifices: uprooting our family and moving to Omaha, leaving family, friends and the majestic mountains. It was difficult to respond, “Yes, Lord,” to each of these requests, but when it was all done and said, I was grateful I obeyed.
My pastor frequently says, “Obedience is our only preference.” How true that is. Each time we say yes to the Lord, the next time becomes a bit easier. If only we could get to the point where we tell God yes even before He asks us to do something.
One of the things that holds us back from obeying God is our wrong perception of God. If we REALLY knew who God was, we’d have no hesitation to obey Him. Do you see God as for you or against you? Does He have your back or is He out to get you? Is He good and trustworthy or not in your eyes?
Our motivation for obedience must be love. Obedience motivated by fear, done in order to earn God’s approval, can lead to legalism. But loving God will cause us to obey Him until the day we die. You automatically want to please the one you love. Our love for God stimulates us to obey Him, no matter what. I John 5:3 says, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.”
Deuteronomy chapter 28 begins by listing blessings resulting from obedience. It’s as if God is saying, “Have I a deal for you! If you obey Me, I will bless you!” When God says, “Let’s make a deal,” it’s always an offer for us to receive a valuable prize. When you choose to obey God, you’ll become known as a trustworthy friend and your intimacy with God will deepen. Just as Jesus’ mother told the servants at the wedding in Cana, “Do whatever He tells you,” so too do I encourage you. Let’s make a deal with God and we’ll always be blessed.
“If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything-it is a delight.”
Oswald Chambers
Relevant Reflections:
1. How have you experienced God’s blessing as a result of obeying Him?
2. What one thing is God currently asking you to do? (Just do it!)
3. What is your perception of God? Who do you know Him to be experientially?