Monday, March 23, 2026

        Moses was denied entry into the Promised Land by God.  This denial came because of Moses’ disobedience at Meribah when he hit a rock instead of speaking to it, as God had instructed him.  We might be tempted to think of such a thing as being trivial or inconsequential.  God did not and does not.  There is no such thing as minor league disobedience.  God described Moses’ disobedience in this way, “This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel” (Deuteronomy 32:51-52).
         It has been said that sin will take you further than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay and keep you longer than you had planned to stay.  Moses learned this lesson.  As we approach Good Friday in less than two weeks, it can be helpful to remember the importance of obedience and walking faithfully with the Lord each day.  The cross reminds us of the consequences of our disobedience.  We are forgiven only because of the cross where Jesus paid the price for our sins and suffered the justice of God that was intended for us.  Disobedience does not occur in a vacuum.  Any time we may be inclined to think of our disobedience as being a trivial matter, we should remember the cross where our sins were judged and executed.
         To practice obedience, we need several important truths to keep in mind.  First, we need to know God’s Word so we can keep it.  It is easier to sin or to make light of our sins when we do not know God’s Word.  We can easily settle for “white lies,” “everybody does it,” or “nobody’s perfect.”  These common excuses are our attempt to water down our disobedience to make it a bit more palatable.  Make Bible reading an everyday priority. Second, be quick to confess your sins to the Lord and acknowledge where you have fallen short.  There are times where we speak, act or think wrongly.  Rather than forgetting or dismissing those times, confess them to the Lord and receive His healing grace. Repentance and confession make us more sensitive to sin and less tolerant of it in our lives.
         Third, spend some time with the Lord each day thanking Him and praising Him for the blessings of your life.  When we recognize just how incredibly good and generous that God has been to us, we tend to resist the temptations of the enemy more eagerly and successfully.  Satan often tries to convince us that his way leads to what we want or need and that God’s ways are designed to do nothing more than frustrate us and hold us back from the things we really need or want the most.  But God is good, faithful, gracious and patient.  The more we learn about the heart and character of God, the better we will become at rejecting sin and embracing Him and His ways.
         And fourth, ask God to open your eyes and ears to the traps and snares that the enemy places before you.  Satan’s temptations can be subtle and sly.  We can easily find our way of escape blocked because he has done such an enticing job to draw us into sin and doing things his way.  We need discernment.  We need the armor of God.  Put on the helmet of salvation...let God rule your mind and take every thought captive to Christ.  Put on the breastplate of righteousness...let serving the Lord be the light of your days.  Secure the belt of truth...know God’s Word and ways.  Let His ways fill your heart.  Wear the shoes of the gospel of peace so you can flee Satan’s temptations.  Take up the shield of faith and trust God when the enemy is tempting you. Hold on to the truth that God’s ways are better—always and forever.  And take up the sword of the Spirit—resist Satan the same way Jesus did by knowing and quoting Scripture to the enemy.
         Disobedience is a big deal.  It is not a joking matter.  God will grant us the grace and help we need to live the way He calls us to live.  Remember the words of Deuteronomy 32:27, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’”  Have a great Monday!