Obedience in the life of a Maturing Believer
“...and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.” “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” Jeremiah 42:1-6
We don't like the idea of obedience because we feel at times that it is something that is daunting and difficult to do. Yet, as a child of God, God requires obedience. Obedience is of vital importance. From the text, there are some good things, wonderful things that will never happen if the followers of God will not learn to obey God. The fulfillment of some of the promises that God makes to you will only be experienced unless you obey God. “For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us” (Jeremiah 42:6). So lack of obedience will result in missing out from His valuable blessings that His followers need so they could live lives pleasing before Him. There are some bad things that you will never have to face, but will end up facing when you disobey. You obey simply because God told you to obey. Once you grow obeying God, it will help change the perspective of your life. It becomes the source of joy and fulfillment when you know that you are obedient to God. Your behavior continues to develop as you learn how to trust and be dependent on God. You become convinced that God knows better. You realized that God is good and faithful. As you mature in your faith in Him, obedience is no longer just a willful submission but a privilege to do what He called you to do. You no longer feel that God is forcing you to follow Him, but it is experiencing joy living your life for His glory.
Blessings.
