As parents of six children one of the things we have endeavoured to teach them is the importance of obedience. It can be an exhausting undertaking as choosing to obey or not to obey is the choice we all face throughout life to some degree.
As parents we can especially get tired and can be tempted to engage in negotiations and going into lengthy explanations to justify our requests so that our children can see the reasonableness of doing what they are asked.
I often said to our kids, “You need to learn to obey quickly because then you will learn to obey God quickly and that could save your life one day”.
Have you ever been in a situation where a child or someone else’s life depended on their immediate cooperation, no questions asked? There is simply no time for the negotiations or discussions. It is very important that you do exactly what I say – right now”. “Make one false move and you’re dead”, as there is a car approaching, dangerous wildlife in close proximity or some other intense harmful situation.
That’s when it is so important that we have cultivated an attitude within ourselves and taught our children or those we are responsible for to listen and positively respond quickly. There are times when there is simply no time for the usual delay tactics, questioning and explanations. We just need to be willing and obedient.
Have you ever considered God’s point of view? So often we can be like little children and unaware of what is coming up ahead, yet God sees it all. He sees and wants to protect us from harm, and He also sees when opportunities and plans He has set up are before us and He simply requires us to step a certain direction to enter into this new blessing. All He asks of us is that we trust and obey Him.
Not long ago someone I know was travelling overseas and was heading out of the hotel to visit a nearby tourist attraction. Suddenly they felt the Holy Spirit say, “Stop and have lunch, Now”. “But I was heading out to see something up the street they replied”. “Stop and have lunch here in the hotel”, was the Lord’s reply. Now they had a choice. Did they do their own thing or did they obey and sit down and have lunch. Fortunately as they were about to find out they chose to stop and have some lunch. A few minutes later they heard a loud crash from outside, gunshots, shouting and people rushing into the hotel foyer fearing for their lives. Outside someone had rammed their car into the barricade of a high security building just outside and now there were armed police swarming up and down the street.
My friend would have been right in the middle of this potentially harmful and frightening situation had they not obeyed God’s directive to stop and have some lunch. Instead they sat peacefully eating their sandwich and had the opportunity and blessing to encourage a medical Doctor staying in the hotel with the account of their healing from cancer. Why? Simply because they were both willing and obedient.
“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land” (Isaiah 1:19)
As you go about our everyday life know that a lot of effort and planning by all of heaven goes into play to both keep you safe and to line up opportunity and blessing for you. God has people for you to meet and blessings for you to walk in. But the important thing for us to all learn is to obey swiftly, for it will lead us to life’s greatest blessings and possibly even save our life one day.
Prayer: Lord please help me remember to be willing and obedient because you are interested and care about every aspect of my life. Help me to love and trust you more. In Jesus Name Amen.
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