JANUARY 17

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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1 Samuel 15:22

“So Samuel said: “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.”

Psalm 22:30

“A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,”

Psalm 100:2

“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.”

Matthew 8:23

“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.”

Joshua 24:15

“….choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:24

“And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

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This month we’re reading  the new devotional   “Becoming New”,  written by  Warren W. Wiersbe and compiled by his grandson.  Pastor Wiersbe was the President of Moody Bible Institute before the current President, Erwin Lutzer.  

OBEDIENCE PLEASES GOD

Read Psalm 119:1-16 and John 15:9-17

Obedience is not an option God gives us to consider; it’s an obligation He expects us to fulfill.  “Never think that Jesus commanded a trifle,” said D.L. Moody, “nor dare to trifle with anything He has commanded.”

According to Jesus, obedience puts a foundation under our feet so that no storm can destroy the life He has enabled us to build (Matthew 7:24-29).  Fair-weather Christians  do their own thing in their own way and are unprepared for the inevitable tests of life.  It is the obedient Christians who weather the storms and are strengthened.

God provides fathers and mothers in homes to protect their children, provide for them, and prepare them for adulthood, and submission to authority is a major part of the family curriculum.  Children who don’t learn to obey at home will not easily learn the other important lessons of life.  This also applies to recruits in the armed forces, students in school, and athletes on a sports team.  Ultimately, a child who doesn’t obey his or her parents will hardly want to obey God!

There are certain motivations for obedience.  Next to not obeying at all, the lowest level of living is to obey out of fear of punishment.  We obey or—consequences!  A slightly better motivation is to obey because we receive some kind of reward.  Yes, there are benefits to obedience, but they are “benefits” and not “bribes”.  The highest level is to obey because it makes us joyful and pleases those who command us.  “Joyful are those who obey His laws.” (Psalm 119:2).  The joy of obedience far outweighs avoiding discipline or receiving payment.  “How can a young person stay pure?  By obeying Your word.”  (Ps 119: 9). 

The benefits of obedience go beyond simply completing a task.  Our obedience honors the Lord, those to whom we are responsible, and those we serve.  Obeying God produces a holy life.

God doesn’t owe us anything.  The fact that Christ died to save us ought to be motivation enough for us to obey!  But the Lord has graciously seen fit to bless us and reward us when we do His will besides!!  Jesus obeyed the Father because of love (John 15:10), and love motivates our obedience to Jesus (Ps 119:9-10). 

When you love someone, you WANT to obey.  Jesus further emphasized that obedience results in overflowing joy (Ps 119:11). “You are my friends if you do what I command.”  (Ps 119:14).  Jesus said that……and it’s no trifle!!

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