Obedience

Are you obeying the Word of God today?  Can God use you as an example to shame Satan like He did with Job?  Do you keep your word, your vows and promises?  Take some time out to examine your Christian walk, have you been faithful or have you been rebellious?  

God’s commandments are not grievous but man’s commands are. Sometimes it will cost you something to honor God, you may be laughed at and you may be considered an outcast but in the end it will be worth it all.

In the Old Testament it talked about obedience in 1^st Samuel 15:1-3, this is what was said to King Saul, “Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”  Now Saul had his instructions and he was to carry them out, but did he?  No.

This is what it says in verses 13-15, “And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”  But this wasn’t completely true either because King Saul spared the King of Amalek, Agag.

Then Samuel said to King Saul in verse 22 “And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.”  Disobedience and rebellion are very serious things to the Lord!  Read what Samuel says in verse 23; “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”  All these verses are from the KJV Bible.

This is very serious stuff and it grieves the Lord just like any other sin we commit.  You might be thinking this is Old Testament, God isn’t like this anymore but you are wrong.  The Lord still hates sin in any form and He doesn’t wink at it ever.  In Hebrews 13:8 it says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  It also says in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”  (KJV)

Don’t ever forget what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament when they rebelled against the Lord by lying to Peter and the Holy Spirit.  They fell down dead and fear came over the whole church and all who heard about it.

Sin is a very serious matter with the Lord like I said.  So if you find yourself in this situation, or any other sin, repent and tell the Lord you are sorry and ask Him to forgive you.  If you are sincere He will forgive you, praise the Lord.  Then don’t forget to thank and praise Him.  God bless you and have a great day.