Message
Sometimes, God gives instructions that appear to be very difficult to obey, and because of that, some Christians delay obeying them for long periods. There is, however, little difference, if any, between delaying obedience to God’s instructions and outright disobedience.
When God asked Abraham to offer Isaac to Him as a sacrifice in , I imagine that he did not discuss the matter with his wife. He probably thought that discussing God’s instruction with Sarah would cause delays, and he wouldn’t be able to carry it out. Even though God instructed him to do something difficult, he must have decided to obey promptly and not ponder over it. As a result of his obedience, God swore by Himself to bless him and his seed forever (). In the same vein, Joseph didn’t linger when an angel told him in a dream to flee to Egypt with Jesus and his mother (). If he had lingered, Herod’s soldiers could have caught up with them. Prompt obedience always leads to preservation and attracts God’s blessings.
When God gives you an instruction, He wants you to obey it promptly. Don’t query Him; just obey the instruction. In addition to promptly obeying His instructions, God also wants you to obey Him willingly. In , He said, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:” Lastly, God expects you to obey Him completely. Some Christians believe they can selectively choose which of God’s instructions to obey and which to disregard. However, when it comes to following God, there is no such thing as partial obedience; you either go all the way with Him or do not go at all. Saul made this mistake when God instructed him to utterly destroy the Amalekites (). Instead of obeying God’s express command to destroy everyone and everything they owned, he spared the king and the best sheep, oxen, and lambs. Saul’s partial obedience displeased God and led to his rejection (). This is because partial obedience equals disobedience in God’s sight. God will never be pleased with less than total obedience. Prompt and wholehearted obedience is always worth more than sacrifices made to Him ().
Beloved, has God given you instructions concerning any matter? Ask Him for the grace to obey them promptly, willingly, and completely. I pray that the Lord will turn every stony, disobedient heart to a heart of obedience, in Jesus’ name.