Reflections on Obedience

REFLECTIONS ON OBEDIENCE
"On that very day, Abraham [did] ... as God told him." (Genesis 17:23)

If you haven't already figured it out, obedience is an issue that all of us will continue to deal with until we get to heaven. As children, it was an issue with our parents. We had to deal with obedience issues in school with our teachers. Many of us are in the work force and have to deal with obedience issues with our employers. I am the President and CEO of America's KESWICK, but I report directly to the Board of Trustees, so that I am responsible to be obedient to the Board.

As citizens of this great nation, we are responsible to obey the laws that have been established by our government. And as men and women of God, we have a responsibility and the privilege of being obedient to God and His Word.

Here’s a definition of obedience for you to ponder on this beautiful Friday – “Obedience is doing everything you are told to do IN THE RIGHT WAY (with the right heart attitude inwardly), RIGHT AWAY (immediately) and ALL THE WAY (do a complete job.)” -- Pastor Tim Shorey -- Senior Pastor, Trinity Fellowship Church, Toms River, NJ.

I read these timely words from STREAMS IN THE DESERT … “Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is, for DELAYED obedience is disobedience. Each time God calls upon us to do something, He is offering to make a covenant with us. Our part is to obey, and then He will do His part to send a special blessing. "The only way to obey is INSTANTLY – “On that very day ...” as Abraham did. I know we often postpone doing what we know to do, and then later do it as well as we can. Certainly this is better than doing nothing at all. By then, however, it is at best only a crippled, disfigured, and partial attempt toward obedience. POSTPONED obedience can never bring us the full blessing God intended or what it would have brought had we obeyed at the earliest possible moment.”

Martin Luther once said, “A true believer will crucify, or put to death, the question, ‘Why?’ He will simply obey without questioning.”

The hymnwriter said it this way: TRUST AND OBEY, FOR THERE’S NO OTHER WAY, TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS, BUT TO TRUST AND OBEY! Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 14; Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51-75

Great Quote: God desires us to live as close as we can to the life that Jesus Christ lived. That is the broad avenue to perfect happiness. Most of us know by experience that in proportion as we have followed Him, we have found happiness. And we know by still larger experience that as we turn away from Him the world gets dark, and life ceases to be worth living. -- George Hodges