Good Morning Thursday...
Father thank You for this NEW DAY. Please continue to break us of old self, TRANSFORM us by the renewing of OUR MINDS, and help us to be obedient THROUGH YOUR SON Yeshua so we can experience Your Loving and Perfect Will for us! In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Name. Amen.
- Obedience Is Faith. Obedience Is Love.
When is the last time you made a conscious choice to be obedient? We may not realize it, but we make obedient decisions, or not, all day.
Sleep five more minutes and hit snooze on our alarm clocks, or get up? Is it necessary to obey the speed limit or can we go a little over? Then if we have kids or participate in raising them, we have to teach them right from wrong, good from bad, and obedience, especially parents. Can you remember the first time your child, niece, younger brother or sister, or other child looked at you after they had been told not to do something, they paused, then did exactly what you told them not to do? This is a prime example of our "fallen nature." Anyone who has experienced "the terrible twos" probably has an immediate memory come to mind.
Our Father was very aware that we as people were trouble from the very beginning. Just look at how many prophets he sent us over and over and like a defiant two year old we (Israel) disobeyed over and over. Jonah obeyed under protest, giving a warning to Nineveh, after spending three days in the belly of a whale. The prophet Isaiah was obedient, walking around three years naked and barefoot. And the prophet Hosea had to marry a prostitute. What do you think it was that compelled these Men of God to be obedient? I would propose it is because they truly "knew" Our Father and God. These Men of God, like us after conversion, have Knowledge of God, a Relationship with God, and Loved God with "all their heart, soul, and mind"... this is where our obedience is found. In His Love and by our Love returned.
Any "good" parent is going to teach their children consequences for not obeying, as they should, and Our Father does the same. This is what helps mold us into His Image and obey what we might consider "tough" commands. Our Father through Moses told Israel very clearly the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. One doesn't have to read very far into The Torah (The first five Books of The Bible - literally translated as "The Instructions") in the Book of Exodus to find out neither being disciplined with a curse or being obedient and receiving blessings motivated our ancestors to long-term and committed obedience. This is where Our Savior and King, Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our Messiah comes in, and Thank God because we obviously have an obedience problem as fallen humans.
Our Messiah has provided for us The Perfect Example, Himself. Think about it: He rose early to pray, always helped others, put Our Father First In Everything, and was constantly about His (God's) Business. And what about being crucified for our sins? He was obedient unto death for us. While I believe our Savior's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane had a much deeper meaning than just "not wanted to suffer," He still made the unbelievable selfless act of being obedient and dying for each and EVERY ONE of us. Now think about this: He Literally Thought About You That Day Before He Went To Face Death. That's Powerful!
So, what made Yeshua do it? What made Our Savior face such a dejection for us? One Word, The Word, Love. After all:
"God Is Love."
1 John 4:8b
When we Love someone or something it gives us long term motivation to keep that person or thing around. We go to great lengths for those people and things in which we Love. Why should it be any different for God Our Father or for us being obedient to Him? It shouldn't. Yeshua explained that obedience was the "Heavenly Spiritual Glue" that would connect His Servants The Disciples, to not only Him, but to Our Father as well. This concept is one Our Messiah explained more than once for us, and then lived it out. He made sure and explained it multiple times before He was crucified, so they would recognize All He Told Them Would Come True. Our Savior was "setting them up for success" and helping them to understand that Obedience Is Key to our relationship with Our Heavenly Father. Fortunate for them, and us, He Sent His Holy Spirit To Give Us The Extra Heavenly Help Of Being Obedient. It's a good thing too, because until they, the disciples, saw Him Risen and experienced Pentecost and Our Father's Holy Spirit, they still seemed a little unconvinced.
While it is True that we are made "righteous by faith" in Our Messiah's Sacrificed Blood, we are reminded by many authors of The Bible that Obedience Is Faith. Our Savior's Brother James reminds us about Abraham and how his obedience proved that he had faith. Jonah, Isaiah, Hosea, Peter, Paul, John, and many other Servants of God proved faithful with their obedience as well, both Old and New Testament Servants of God Taught The Same Main Principle, Repent, Turn Back To God Our Father, Love Him Foremost, and Love Others. Want to know how you can sum all of that up? Obedience. Obedience is the common thru-line that runs directly through every Servant of God in The Bible. This obedience is based in a Relationship with God Almighty.
We have a Loving, Perfect, and Holy God as Our Father. This makes obedience to Our Father much easier. He Has Proven Himself Over and Over, even as we have failed. We can fully trust Our Father now, because of His Faithfulness Throughout All Ages... and we get to read about it in His Word! What a gift! The most amazing thing is that we can verify His Faithfulness In The Life Of Our Savior Yeshua, Jesus Christ. He Was Faithful Then, He Will Be Faithful Now, And He Will Be Faithful To Those Who Listen To His Word And Are Obedient To Him Forever More... even when We fall short. What Love He Has For Us To Be Faithful Throughout All Time, In His Wonders, and In His Son That We Should Never Have To Doubt Him?! Doesn't this compel us to obedience? It should. May we all remember that Obedience Is Faith and Obedience Is Love.
Deep Thoughts:
Think about how Faithful God Has Been To You In The Past and Currently In The Present. How many blessings do you have in your life now and in the past? I bet they are uncountable. Now think about what steps of obedience Our Father is asking you to take now? Will you answer His Calling?
The Word of God, The Bread Of Life:
“at the same time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.”
Isaiah 20:2-4
“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will. ”
Mark 14:32-36
“But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.”
James 2:18-23
“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
I John 2:5-6
A copy of this devotion, pictures with verses, and other encouragement for sharing, is available at:
https://servantofyeshua7.weebly.com
Thank You and Yahweh Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, God Our Father and His Son, Bless You!