Tuesday, February 15, 2022

           God often had to teach Israel a simple lesson.  He preferred obedience to sacrifice.  He wanted Israel to obey, to trust and to walk with Him more than all the sacrifices that they could possibly offer.  God’s reason was simple too.  He knew that life would be better if His people obeyed Him.  In Leviticus 18:5, God said, "If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD."  Obedience brings protection and blessings.  When we obey God’s standards, we are protected against the guilt of our disobedience and the consequences of that disobedience.  We also experience the joy that comes from knowing God’s ways and adhering to them.            
            We often hear voices say that obedience is an out-of-date, even old-fashioned concept that today’s people can not possibly be expected to value and even live out.  But obedience comes with no expiration date and no “use-by” date.  Obedience is just as important today as it was in ancient Israel.  Jesus Himself said that He did not come to do away with the Law of God but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).  And by trusting and obeying the Lord Jesus, we fulfill the Law too.  His keeping of the Law is imputed to us.  Usually, we have two choices in life.  We have the way of the Lord and then there is practically any other way.  Jesus spoke of these two ways in His Sermon on the Mount.  We read, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” 
            It takes very little to live in disobedience to God.  Quite often, we live disobediently simply by doing whatever we wish whenever we wish.  Disobedience is an act of laziness and sloppiness.  We are taking poor care of the precious life that God has given to us and doing very little to present our lives back to Him as an offering.  Some people suggest that obedience is just a collection of prohibitions and the word “no” everywhere we turn.  Actually, the opposite is true. Obedience is the ultimate “yes.”  We are saying “yes” to the Lord and His ways.  We are saying “yes” to His leadership.  We are saying “yes” to whatever God may have for us.  Obedience is an act of agreement and acceptance that God’s ways are superior to our ways.  “Yes” to God always works.
            Your obedience in one matter today could forever change your life and your family tree.  Noah obeyed God and the result was an ark that saved his family.  Paul obeyed God and the result was New Testament books that we read today and the expansion of the gospel into new towns and villages.  Abraham said yes to God and the result was the nation of Israel coming from the line of one man.  Where could the Lord be calling you to obey Him?  What “yes” does the Lord seek to hear from you?  How could your “yes” today change your life forever?  The movie Yes Day is about a family where the parents agree to say “yes” to just about anything the kids want to do.  The idea seems risky and ripe with bad possibilities but as the movie concludes the family realizes how close they have become and the foundation they have created for the future.  They realize that simply saying “yes” made all the difference in how they connected with and loved each other.
            We don’t always want to take family guidance from movies but there is a principle we can learn.  When we say “yes’ to God, the outcome is guaranteed.  No one regrets saying “yes” to the Lord.  Obedience is never the wrong choice.  Obedience is one investment that produces outstanding returns.  So, today, say “yes.”  “Yes” to God and His ways.  “Yes” to trusting your life to Him.  Have a great Tuesday!