Do We Fully Obey?
This past Sunday in Sunday school Chad made a statement that I have heard many times before, but for some reason it stuck with me this week. He said that his dad always told him that when he obeys halfway then he fully disobeys.
If you are a parent that statement could not be more true!! I know that if I ask Caroline to go upstairs to get something for me and she obeys by going upstairs, but when she gets there disobeys by beginning to play instead of finishing her job, then she has fully disobeyed to do what I have asked of her. It is so easy to get distracted!!
We discussed Noah in Genesis 6 on Sunday in our class. It is really amazing to think of the FULL obedience of Noah. He lived in a land of rebellion, and yet God found him righteous. He had never seen rain and yet God told him that it would rain and Noah trusted God. As a matter of fact there would be so much rain that he was instructed to build a big box (with no navigation system and no steering) so that when it started to rain (which he had never seen) and when the earth flooded higher than the tallest mountains (IMAGINE!) he would have a place for himself and his family to be safe. The fact that this man fully trusted every word that God said is really amazing!! But even more amazing that that (to me anyway) is that Noah ACTED on God's commands and did not question Him one time.
THAT is what God calls us to!
Ok, so let's say I am in a marriage that is REALLY hard. No one has cheated, but the husband isn't in church and he isn't especially happy that I am either. Let's say that we got married really young and that the idea has crossed my mind many times that perhaps I have missed out on someone or something better! I am trying to pray and I am trying to read my Bible, but it seems that God does not hear much less answer!When I go to church I see other couples that seem to have it all together and I really wish I could start all over. I think I have made some mistakes along the way and surely God would give me another chance, right??
When I do read God's Word it tells me that "if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:13-14
What am I to do??
Or let's say that I do not get along with someone at work. Let's say that they are not a believer and I am. The things that they do and say at work just really rub me the wrong way and it is a real test for me each time I am around them. They tell off color jokes, use profanity and talk about things that are very inappropriate in the work place.
When I read God's Word it tells me to "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14
What am I to do?
Proverbs 14:12 says, " There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
You have probably heard it said before that God does not really care about our happiness. It is our holiness that He is most concerned with.
What if Noah had not obeyed?
What if he had said, "LORD! Rain!? Come on! And those measurements that you gave me sound like some HUGE box, and you want me to cut down trees, make a big box and then put all of the animals in it WITH my wife and kids? Isn't that dangerous? Besides, what IS rain anyway? I just don't know that I can do it God. You will have to find someone else."
I just don't know if I can stay in this marriage Lord. He is never going to change, and I am trying to seek YOU! Find someone else to be faithful, but Lord save me from this! I just want out!
I just don't know if I can be kind to her Lord. She is SO hard to be around! I can't pray for her either! She just gets on my nerves!! Find someone else to pray for her. Maybe she will get saved and stop acting that way!
God had Noah as a part of the earth during that time for a purpose. He knew that Noah would obey and He knew that He could use Noah to help Him fulfill His plan. He had a purpose in Noah's life that Noah could not see, but Noah's obedience helped him to see his purpose and it changed the very face of the earth.
God has each of us where we are for a purpose. OH, sister, believe me, I SO wish that God would reveal His purposes to me in SO many situations. Things that we can not see right now cause us to have to walk in obedience until He makes His purposes known.
The obedience brings relationship. Walking with God every day is what Noah did... it even says in Genesis 6:9 " Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God." So how did God know that Noah would be faithful to obey? He knew him. He had walked with Noah and Noah had walked with Him.
How does God know if He can trust you as He seeks to share His plan and purposes with His people? Do you walk with Him? Does He see you being obedient in the small things? Does He know that you have a heart for obedience even when you fail?
God did not ask Noah to build the ark at the beginning of his life. It was after years of walking with God and being obedient (and going against the culture) that God called Noah to help Him fulfill His plan.
What has God called you to do? Big or small, obedience is what He is seeking, and obedience is what we must pursue.
I am praying for you!
If you are a parent that statement could not be more true!! I know that if I ask Caroline to go upstairs to get something for me and she obeys by going upstairs, but when she gets there disobeys by beginning to play instead of finishing her job, then she has fully disobeyed to do what I have asked of her. It is so easy to get distracted!!
We discussed Noah in Genesis 6 on Sunday in our class. It is really amazing to think of the FULL obedience of Noah. He lived in a land of rebellion, and yet God found him righteous. He had never seen rain and yet God told him that it would rain and Noah trusted God. As a matter of fact there would be so much rain that he was instructed to build a big box (with no navigation system and no steering) so that when it started to rain (which he had never seen) and when the earth flooded higher than the tallest mountains (IMAGINE!) he would have a place for himself and his family to be safe. The fact that this man fully trusted every word that God said is really amazing!! But even more amazing that that (to me anyway) is that Noah ACTED on God's commands and did not question Him one time.
THAT is what God calls us to!
Ok, so let's say I am in a marriage that is REALLY hard. No one has cheated, but the husband isn't in church and he isn't especially happy that I am either. Let's say that we got married really young and that the idea has crossed my mind many times that perhaps I have missed out on someone or something better! I am trying to pray and I am trying to read my Bible, but it seems that God does not hear much less answer!When I go to church I see other couples that seem to have it all together and I really wish I could start all over. I think I have made some mistakes along the way and surely God would give me another chance, right??
When I do read God's Word it tells me that "if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:13-14
What am I to do??
Or let's say that I do not get along with someone at work. Let's say that they are not a believer and I am. The things that they do and say at work just really rub me the wrong way and it is a real test for me each time I am around them. They tell off color jokes, use profanity and talk about things that are very inappropriate in the work place.
When I read God's Word it tells me to "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14
What am I to do?
Proverbs 14:12 says, " There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
You have probably heard it said before that God does not really care about our happiness. It is our holiness that He is most concerned with.
What if Noah had not obeyed?
What if he had said, "LORD! Rain!? Come on! And those measurements that you gave me sound like some HUGE box, and you want me to cut down trees, make a big box and then put all of the animals in it WITH my wife and kids? Isn't that dangerous? Besides, what IS rain anyway? I just don't know that I can do it God. You will have to find someone else."
I just don't know if I can stay in this marriage Lord. He is never going to change, and I am trying to seek YOU! Find someone else to be faithful, but Lord save me from this! I just want out!
I just don't know if I can be kind to her Lord. She is SO hard to be around! I can't pray for her either! She just gets on my nerves!! Find someone else to pray for her. Maybe she will get saved and stop acting that way!
God had Noah as a part of the earth during that time for a purpose. He knew that Noah would obey and He knew that He could use Noah to help Him fulfill His plan. He had a purpose in Noah's life that Noah could not see, but Noah's obedience helped him to see his purpose and it changed the very face of the earth.
God has each of us where we are for a purpose. OH, sister, believe me, I SO wish that God would reveal His purposes to me in SO many situations. Things that we can not see right now cause us to have to walk in obedience until He makes His purposes known.
The obedience brings relationship. Walking with God every day is what Noah did... it even says in Genesis 6:9 " Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God." So how did God know that Noah would be faithful to obey? He knew him. He had walked with Noah and Noah had walked with Him.
How does God know if He can trust you as He seeks to share His plan and purposes with His people? Do you walk with Him? Does He see you being obedient in the small things? Does He know that you have a heart for obedience even when you fail?
God did not ask Noah to build the ark at the beginning of his life. It was after years of walking with God and being obedient (and going against the culture) that God called Noah to help Him fulfill His plan.
What has God called you to do? Big or small, obedience is what He is seeking, and obedience is what we must pursue.
I am praying for you!
Comments
love, Leigh
Love ya.
V