by David Brenneman
Perhaps you’ve hesitated to obey God in your life because you fear the consequences of your decision. But the Lord commands you to fear Him above all else. The same sovereign, omnipotent God who keeps your heart beating and the planets orbiting is more than able to handle the results of your obedience. When you choose to obey Him, He will bless you. Obedience always leads to blessing. Therefore, make it your goal to obey the Lord and watch Him work in your life. - Dr. Charles Stanley Life Principles #21 Obedience always brings blessings.
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
"When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” Luke 5:4-5.
Not everything we do for the Lord is going to make sense. We're just to do it and leave the consequences to Him. Peter's very first lesson was in this. The Life Principle that I quoted from wasn't the one on obeying God and leaving the consequences to Him but it's related to this one.
The world would have people fear what God might want of them should they choose to fully follow Christ. "If I do this, then He might..." starts the train of thought. Some believe this and it stunts their spiritual growth and they wander about the pastures of life like lost sheep.
Fearing mankind and what people might do above fearing God and what disobedience brings...why weigh that at all? Obey God and leave whatever consequences to Him. Look at the wandering people of Israel. They actually had to be reminded to look back over those 40 years at the hidden blessings that were right in front of them. The impossible small things of life that they didn't consider. Sandles not wearing out. The wear and fatigue missing from walking where they were lead.
A life in Christ to the full isn't going to be known until you choose to live Christ to the full. It's interesting that scene from an Indiana Jones movie the had to figure out what a step of faith was. He scoups up dirt and tosses it to see that a bridge was right in front of him all along but he couldn't see it.
Our steps of faith are much the same as that hidden bridge. Until we move a foot in faith in the direction that the Spirit says to go we're not going to know the solid ground undereath our feet.
Next comes the so-called threats of mankind upon us for obeying Christ vs Man. No man holds anyone's life in their hands. Especially those of the household of God. Jesus said that all who are His are in His hands and no one is able to take them from there. He is in the Father's hand and absolutely nobody is able to remove Him from there as well.
We may be called to defend ourselves. So be it. We may be called to stand by and watch. Again so be it. Whatever the will of God for us is in Christ Jesus in given situations...obey it. You'll either watch the hand of God through you or the absense of your involvement. In either case we're to watch for the hand of God.
Satan's schemes involve the full blown manipulation of fear in the minds of mankind. Fears of doing fears of not doing whatever he thinks he's able to do to someone or through someone.
Those who do evil only perceive that they are successful in what they say or do. Proverbs says that there's a way that seems right to a man but it's path leads to death. That's Proverbs 14 verse 12.
Satan's schemes involve rash thinking. To not think about what God might be doing in a person's life.
"The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps." Verse 15 of Proverbs 14.
"A wise man is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless." Verse 16.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In All your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
There will be times when we're called to engage the enemy. Times when we won't. There's times when God will tell us to stand back and watch because our salvation is at hand. There's times when we will be called to pick up something to defend. We are not at all going to be unscathed by the battles we come up against in our lives.
David was a skilled shepherd who could take on the lion and the bear and yet lovingly care for his sheep.
David weilded a weapon against Goliath. He had plans on taking out Goliath's family of 4 brothers as well as him and he did just that. All of Goliath's brothers fell at the feet of David and his mighty men.
Job learned of the realities of the universe from the Lord and he submitted to the authority of God.
Habakkuk was told things he couldn't believe even when he was told by the Lord Himself, but he submitted to those.
Hezekiah saw what the people saw as a mighty army coming against them. He turned to the Lord for deliverance. The Lord turned the army around and not a foot was set inside of Jerusalem.
When Israel set foot, finally, into the Promised Land and they made sure to ask the Lord what to do with whomever they crossed paths with...they succeeded. When they failed to do so these offending people became a thorn in their side.
Life's not going to make sense apart from listening and obeying what we're told to be doing in the Lord.
Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.".
People, just like the grass that withers, and the fading flower, will come and go but the word of the Lord stand forever. Isaiah 40:8.
You are to obey God and leave the consequences to Him.
Ask Him what you should do, which way to go. He gave us all common sense yet in this He also will take us through things that make no sense at all. We aren't saved just to get into Heaven. We are saved AND we start a journey to become more like Christ.
All New American Standard Bible Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. A corporation not for profit.
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