Connecting The Dots - Week 26 (Obedience)

        Connecting The Dots – Week 26.           

                     (Obedience)

Key Verse: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22 NKJV)

You may be asking yourself, “Why is obedience so important to God?” The simple answer is, because He Loves us so much. God doesn’t ever give us commandments as a liability, but always as a blessing. When anyone comes into alignment with the truth of God, then acts upon it, His favor follows. In fact, our very Salvation came through an act of obedience. (Philippians 2:5-8 NASB)

• “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” (Hebrews 5:7-8 NIV)

• “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19 NIV) 

• “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23 NIV)

Obedience to God equals life, His commands are not burdensome. Not only do they produce life for the one who receives, but also for the one who moves into alignment with God’s appeals and yields to them, because His eyes are always on those who hope in His love. And after all, that is really what obeying God is about in the end, Love. (John 13:34-35 NASB)

• “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love…” (Psalms 33:19 NIV)

• “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28 NIV)

• “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 1:6 NIV)

God has no burning need for us to obey Him, He requires nothing from us apart from faith (Hebrews 11:6 NASB). It’s sort of like, “What gift do you give the Dad who has everything?” Our obedience to God is our blessing, because He always desires our good. Our obedience to God is for our blessing, because whenever we do the things He says, good things happen. His words to us are an instruction manual, His Spirit transforms them into a love letter, and all of His love poured out to us is preparation.

• “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” (Deuteronomy 30:11-13 NIV)

• “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 Jon 5:3-4 NIV)

Questions to consider:

1. Do you view obedience to God as a burden or a blessing? Why?

2. What areas of your life need to be brought into alignment with God’s truth?

Ref. Scriptures: (Romans 10:8 NASB), (Hebrews 4:9-11 NASB), (1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV), (1 Peter 1:22 NIV), (Deuteronomy 11:1 NASB), (Romans 1:5 NASB), (James 1:25 NASB)