Friday, October 5, 2018

Learning Obedience

westloop-church.org.


Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Hebrews 5:8 (ESV)

Jesus suffered on the cross for you and for me. He endured agony the degree of which we will never have to undergo.

At any time prior to Gethsemane, he could have turned away and not have done as God had planned. However, in the garden, He prayed three times, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus chose to obey His Father, went through a trial that was based on false accusations. Because of His obedience to God, you and I have hope that one day The Father will take us to heaven to be with Jesus.

Our Lord Jesus learned obedience by praying and listening to God, His Father. How do we learn obedience in today’s world?

Jesus modeled obedience before the people by giving up His will for God’s plan. He let God’s plan work out. How can we, as Christians, convey our obedience to God to those around us? 



Wednesday, October 3, 2018

The Choice We Have


Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul pens these words to the believers at Rome. What he says to them, he also says to us.

We have a choice as to how we align our lives. We can choose to be obedient to our sinful nature and have a life of constant upheaval or we can decide to follow God and gain righteousness.

God gives us free will to decide what we want to do. When we choose to live our lives without Him, we open ourselves up to many difficulties-health issues, relationship problems, and financial concerns.

We can live for the world or we can live for the LORD. While living for the LORD may not always seem easy, if we obey God and His word, He works out those difficult circumstances as He intends.

Sometimes, we have to abide what He tells us and seek new ways to serve Him. As age and infirmity can change our activities and our work for Him. He leads us down different paths that He chooses for us.

As I initially typed these words, the hymn, “Trust and Obey” came into my mind.  These words are especially comforting:

“When we do his good will, he abides with us still. And with all who trust and obey.”

Lord Jesus: Thank You for Your guidance. Thank You for abiding with us. Help us. Your children to always be obedient and to follow your direction as we live for You.
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Trust and Obey, James H. Samiss, Daniel B. Towner found in Hymns for the Family of God number 454.

Monday, October 1, 2018

Trust and Obey


standupforthetruth.com

And 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 listen than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)

All of us who have been Christians for a lengthy period of time have heard the hymn, Trust and Obey. At church, we recently had a layman speak on Obedience. He uses the title of that hymn as a personal motto for his life.

My word for 2018 has been obedience. I found I made the right choice when I started my reading program for the year. Every book, I read touched on the idea that our growth in the LORD stemmed from our obedience.

Due to some health issues, I no longer am able to do as I once did in working for the LORD. However, I feel I have grown in my Christian walk because of this regrouping of my activities.

When we learn obedience to the LORD, we seem to have a better understanding of what we see going on around us in our neighborhoods and even in our world. We are not as nervous and we appear calmer to others when unusual events or conditions enter our lives or the lives of our loved ones.

How can we learn obedience? We learn it through the grace of praying and listening to what God tells us. Reading our Bibles and reading a good devotional book give us the guidance we need to learn what we can do to become more like Jesus.

More About Jesus Would I Know

More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see, More of His who died for me.

More, more about Jesus, More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me.
__________________

More About Jesus Would I Know, Eliza E. Hewitt, John R. Sweney found in Hymns for the Family of God number 477.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...