Grace to Obey!
I know…I know…I know…the flesh doesn’t want to hear nothing about obedience. But I have good news for you. God is giving you the grace to obey Him…everyday. Your God is a King and He loves to be obeyed. Why? Obedience is a form of trust and God is obsessed with being trusted. He will not do without it.
The prophet Samuel told Israel’s first king, “…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice….” (1 Samuel 15:22).
The mother of Jesus said to the wedding attendants, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).
Moses told Israel, “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:2).
Your Best Life
Let me be straight with you! Your best life happens when you obey the Lord. You can’t get around it. Don’t try to! You’ll find the Lord unrelenting when it comes to obeying Him. The result?
You will receive blessings on blessings.
You will live in a place of safety. You will be a real threat and punishment to the devil. This why the Bible says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
The Key Element
My spiritual father Kenneth Hagin was going through some financial trouble early in his ministry and he went to the Lord about it.
He says, “At the end of my first year of traveling, I spent three days fasting and praying. I reminded the Lord of something He said in the Old Testament: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isa. 1:19).
Bro. Hagin told the Lord, “Lord, my children are not even eating right. I’ve worn out my car; now I’m out here on the field on foot. I’m sure not eating the good of the land—yet You promised that I would. Something is wrong somewhere.”
He said on the third day of his fast the Lord responded to him and said, “That text you keep quoting to Me says, ‘If you be willing and obedient.’ You were obedient, but you weren’t willing. You don’t qualify. That’s the reason it’s not working for you.”
Bro. Hagin said, “I got willing in 10 seconds! Don’t tell me it takes a long time to get willing. It didn’t take me 10 seconds to make a little adjustment right down on the inside.”
Then he said, “Lord, I’m ready now. You already told me I was obedient. Now I’m willing. I know it. You know it. And the devil knows it. So I’m ready now to start eating the good of the land.”
The Lord said, “Yes, you are. Now I will tell you what to do.”
Bro Hagin said, “He told me, and I’ve been “eating the good” ever since!”
So, there you have it! Willingness is the the key element to your obedience. Willingness and obedience will escort you into the good life you have desired. Get ready! Get ready! Get ready!
