Faith and Obedience 1 Kings 18:1-15; Luke 5:1-11 Think of faith and obedience as travel companions heading to the same destination—namely, to please and glorify the Lord. You cannot have one without the other. They grow simultaneously as they are practiced but will wither if neglected. Elijah was a man with both of these qualities. He believed God and always responded in obedience. When told by the Lord to show himself to King Ahab, Elijah didnt permit fear to stop him. He had learned through experience that the Father was faithful and trustworthy. Fear short-circuits faith when we begin to doubt that God’s way is really best. If we allow worry to gain a foothold in our minds, we’ll respond by refusing to do what the Lord says, which is disobedience. The result will be a change in our “travel plans,” and by rejecting the way of faith and obedience, we’re actually choosing the path of unbelief and sin. Satan loves our fear and disobedience because they hinder the journey that God has designed for us. We can’t believe the Lord for great things in one area of our life if we are allowing sin in another. Self-examination is essential in the walk of faith. Where have you compromised by allowing sin a foothold? Are you resisting anything God says in His Word? Great faith begins with small steps. When you choose to follow God’s Word, an ever-increasing cycle of faith and obedience will begin. Don’t let fear or sin rob you of the great adventure He’s planned for your life. Who has a better track record for choosing the right path—you or God? So believe Him! No one could have been more caught off guard by the Master’s command than Peter. After toiling all night, he and the other fishermen had absolutely nothing to show for their efforts. They were weary and discouraged; the last thing they wanted to do was cast off on another futile attempt to catch a few meager fish. What could Jesus be thinking? What purpose could there be in His instruction to set out again to go fishing? A short time later, as the bulging nets were hauled to shore, these men undoubtedly began to understand an eternal principle that many people have yet to realize: God will never instruct us to do anything unless He has a specific, sovereign purpose for it (Jer. 29:11). Jesus’ command must have seemed unnecessary, if not irrational. After all, these men were professionals. They knew how to catch fish. What they had yet to learn was that apart from the supernatural involvement of almighty God, every bit of self-effort is in vain. Peter and his crew could never have imagined what kind of reward was in store for their obedience. The thing they sought and desired most of all was the very thing God gave: nets overflowing with fish. The difference was that the second fishing expedition was done God’s way and in God’s time. Is there an issue of disobedience in your life? What step of obedience has God asked you to take? Trust His purpose and plan. You’ll never know the reward until you’re willing to take the risk—and the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 07:27:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015