Wow, you’re still here? I thought the title alone may have scared you away. Obedience is a dirty word in our culture, we celebrate the rule-breakers, but we conflate anarchy with pioneering. We see that some rules were meant to oppress and we throw out the whole rule book!
I have to tell you, up until recently, when I read scriptures like the one below, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the joy David expresses… God’s law? The exuberance over… God’s regulations? Surely people were different back then…
“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.”
Psalms 119:9-18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.119.9-18.NLT
Wow, right? That guy must be some level of holiness that involves levitating in the full lotus as he prays. I really couldn’t believe that joy and delight could come from obedience.
And if I can be real, it also sounded kind of lame. Like the nerdy kid in grade school who got off on being the teacher’s pet and made the rest of us look bad.
Lord forgive me.
The statutes, decrees, laws in God’s word are guardrails- they protect us and keep us walking on the path towards him, but wait, it gets better, as we are on that path, via obedience, he can use us, meet us, bless us- all the miraculous, in-breaking kingdom, divine intervention kind of stuff- the stuff that opens your eyes to your immortality, to your ability to play a part in Gods story- you know, somewhere after Acts and before Revelation?
“The one who obeys God’s instruction for today will develop a keen awareness of His direction for tomorrow. I’m always asking God for direction, but I’ll miss it if I constantly ignore His instruction.”
— The Best Yes, by Lysa TerKeurst
Obedience positions us to be someone who can participate with Christ in the meta-narrative that spans the Garden, and culminates in a new earth, an even better Eden. Did I say “lame” earlier? I take it all back.
God doesn’t want us to be lame, in fact, if you are walking with Christ and your life is boring, I would propose that you’re doing it wrong. There are rules- his rules- that need to be followed so that we can become more and more like him, and none of them are meant to “spoil our fun”- but there are many rules that don’t apply to us- like the rule that you should work more than 40 hours a week and forgo vacations, make the most money you can, buy the biggest house you can afford and achieve the American dream. The rule that you should pick the highest paying job versus the one with the greatest eternal implications. The rule that trade jobs are for the less intelligent. The rule that you should get your kids into the most/best extracurricular so they get into the best college. The rule that busy=important. The rule that you should seek comfort above all else. The rule that you should push away those with differing viewpoints and build an echo chamber. There are many rules out there for us to break, my fellow rebels. As we walk in obedience to Christ, we will look like a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9), we will display the upside-down kingdom of God, we will first confuse, and then draw in people with our Christ-like life that looks so different from those around us.
And in our obedience he will meet us- he has met me. As I walk in obedience- devoting time to prayer and reading before I start my workday- he makes my work dramatically easier. As I take a step towards something he is prompting me to do, he uses my hands to do his will! As I say a word I think he has put in my heart to a sibling in Christ, it is confirmed as they are encouraged and blessed! And I am blessed- I am encouraged, for in a little bit of faith and obedience, the creator of the universe uses me to love another one of his children!
Now look at Psalm 119 again:
“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.”
We will find him in obedience. We will find the direction for our lives and great joy in obedience. Lord, open our eyes to see the wonderful truth in your instruction!!
Take 2 steps today. Seek him first and meditate on his word for that is where it all begins. Pray that he would use you for his purposes and then attune yourself to him, listen to that small prompting that surely is not you ;-).
Watch what he will do with your obedience and a willing heart! You will not be disappointed!!