"...But now is made manifest, and by the scripture of the prophets, according to the commandant of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith, Romans 16:26.
Behind every beautiful story in scripture, you will find obedience. Until you learn to obey God, you cannot fully enjoy the touch of his hands. Every divine providence, anchors on the obedience of man. God says in Isaiah 1:19,
"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land".
Also in Job 36:11
"If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures".
The wealth of the father is only meant for the obedient child. There's great wealth on the earth, irrespective of the country you find yourself, but it takes obedience to enjoy it. As a Christian you cannot go far in your walk with God without obedience of faith. Abraham departed when God asked him to leave his father's house. He stepped out in obedience of faith.
What Is Obedience of Faith?
It is "God said it, I found it in the word, I believe it and move to do it". It is obeying God because of your faith in his word. When you find the word of God on any issue, it means you have left the realm of shadows over the issue. Revelation brings you substance. A lot of people will wait until everything is ready before they take steps even though God has spoken. Taking steps require starting somewhere; no matter how small. Some people are too big to start small; if you're too big to start small, you will never be great.
Faith is not only believing God, but also obeying God. Until you obey God, you don't believe him, until you take steps in obedience, you don't believe God. For instance, if you believe God for healing, you need to take steps by searching the bible for healing related scriptures and confess those scriptures daily and if you believe God for the fruit of the womb, then you'll go and begin to buy baby layette and accessories. If you believe God for a good job, then you will rise up, on Monday morning and dress up like someone going to work. When the ten lepers called upon Jesus for healing, Jesus told them "Go and show yourself to the priest". Then they showed forth their faith by obeying what Jesus said, and as they went, they were cleansed, Luke 17:12-14,
Characteristics of Obedience of Faith
1. It appears to very stubborn. A man with obedience of faith is 'stubborn' spiritually. For example, when they say nobody should pray to any God except to king Darius. Daniel, in the spirit of obedience of faith, opened all his windows and prayed to the true God of his fathers three times daily, as he always did.
2. Most times it appears foolish, it is foolishness to go out of one's father's house to a place you don't know. However, Abraham responded this way in obedience of faith to God's word.
3. It appears stupid, like Moses' experience, who at the red sea instructed the Israelites to move forward despite the sea and he acted in obedience of faith by stretching forth his rod over the sea.
4. It appears senseless, like those men that Jesus instructed to fill the water pots with water and later asked them to draw the water and serve it as wine to the master of ceremony in a wedding, yet they acted out of obedience of faith and it became wine.
5. It appears unserious, that is how leprotic Naaman saw prophet Elisha to be, when he (Elisha) instructed him to go and deep himself in river Jordan seven times and his flesh will come to him (be healed of leprosy), when he eventually obeyed in faith, he received his miracle, he was completely free from leprosy.
Behind the beautiful stories of people in the scripture is obedience of faith. Everyone Jesus healed, were healed as they demonstrated obedience of faith. Until you take steps, you don't believe God. Abraham took steps, the lepers took steps and they saw God. When God asks you to go he's already gone ahead of you. If you are afraid to take steps, your life may not be beautiful. Actions are the perfecters of faith, and faith brings a glorious turn around.
The problem with many people is that, they recognize the shadows at the expense of substance; so they pursue shadows at the expense of substance. It is substance that creates the shadow, as long as the substances is there, the shadow have no option but to be there as well. In Hebrews 11:1, we are told
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for..."
the things you are trusting God to have are the shadows, but the substance is the faith. Faith is the substance that will make those things to come forth; and faith itself comes from the word. Hence for whatever you want, you must have the word of God you are banking on to get them, otherwise you are chasing only shadows. When you need anything, prayer is not the first thing to do, the first thing to do is to get substance from the word. The substance of our beauty is God's word, which commands the shadow to come. How did Abraham get Isaac? He had the substance - the word. Scripture in Romans 4:18 says,
"Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be".
God spoke to Abraham and he held unto it, and through it, he got Isaac. God's word is the substance, only those who get the substance, commands the shadow. Obedience of faith is holding unto what God has spoken.
Shalom.