All He Asks of Us

 “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”   2 John 1:6

Obedience. A word that can be defined in so many different ways, depending on the context. We train animals to obey commands, either to perform for entertainment or to live peacefully as we care for them. We establish laws so that we can drive safely or share communities in harmony. But this only addresses obedience in relation to each other. What about the relationship with God Himself? God created mankind in order to have fellowship. He has opened all the doors that lead to having that connection through Jesus Christ. All He asks of us is obedience.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary gives a succinct definition of biblical obedience: “to hear God’s word and act accordingly.” Simply put, it demonstrates our faith and trust in God and leads to personal growth.

The apostle John defines this as love in his second letter to believing readers. The primary example of this selfless agape love is Jesus. He showed it through His life and actions. It includes loving one another, as well as walking in obedience to the truth of God. For Christians, this is not optional. Believers are to “walk in it,” that is, to obey it. But obedience isn’t learned overnight. It is a lifelong process that we pursue daily.

There are several reasons that obedience is important. First, because Jesus calls us to obey. It is also an act of worship that proves our love and demonstrates our faith. In 1 Samuel, we see that God rejected King Saul when he disobeyed the Lord.

Chapter 15:22 reads: “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

And verse 23 reveals Saul’s punishment for rebellion:“...Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.”

We can see that disobedience leads to sin and death, but obedience brings promises from God. He promises to save us, watch over us, take care of us, and meet our needs. The will of God is that His people should walk in the truth of the gospel and abide by it.

As we approach the holiday season these next two months, let us be diligent in making obedience to the Lord our daily goal. Let us walk in it as a testimony to our trust and belief in Him and our love for others.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for showing me the importance of demonstrating my faith and trust through obedience to You. Help me show Your love to others.

Rest

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30

Every so often, a thought or phrase comes to my mind—and occasionally out of my mouth—that began with my mother. Interestingly, these nuggets of knowledge have increased in wisdom as I have gotten older. One of my favorite truisms of hers is the saying “Anything that comes between you and God is closer to God than you are.”

 

I try to use this as my guide stone in keeping my priorities in order. Sometimes, however, I concentrate so hard on juggling the balls of life’s responsibilities, that I step back to allow for more space to juggle. Eventually, I am overwhelmed by it and the burden is too much. That is when I realize that I have moved away from the Lord.

 

Each one of us faces struggles that are both unique to ourselves and in common with other humans. Jesus’ Jewish listeners wanted desperately to know God the Father and be approved by Him. Their religious leaders placed enormous burdens on them with their ‘yoke’ of legalistic traditions. Jesus offered relief from the regulations of the Pharisees through discipleship. An easy and serviceable ‘yoke’ because of His teaching, it equips us to live our lives in the way God designed them to be lived.

 

It is critical to remember that discipleship to Jesus isn’t essentially a religious obligation. We have an intimate relationship with the Lord. The one who calls, “Come to me’ and “Learn from me” offers rest for those who are weary and burdened. He offers rest for the soul.

 

When we look at following Christ from the world view, it can mean taking on difficult circumstances and giving up worldly pleasures. When we see it from the view of salvation, it means giving up the impossible task of carrying our own sin.

 

As complicated as life can become, we must take care not to step back to allow more space to juggle things on our own. We need to remove all barriers between us and Jesus. Discipleship is simple, really. It is at the heart of walking with Jesus in the real world, while He teaches us moment by moment how to live life His way. Jesus still lovingly extends His invitation, Come to me and I will give you rest.

 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the assurance that rest can be found in being yoked to You.