This week’s story shows how there are blessings for obedience. The Lord gives us interesting insight into the spiritual condition of Jericho. Hebrews 11:31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. [1] Whatever was going on in the city of Jericho can be traced to their refusal to obey God. In the end, their refusal to obey the Lord would end in their destruction.
Our Disobedience
Think about your life. Has disobedience to God ever worked out in a positive way? I must say disobedience has never worked out for me. Satan likes to deceive people into thinking that obedience to God is old fashioned.
I had a friend who decided that drug dealing was the way to make money. He had a deal go bad, was shot, and left for dead. As he laid in an abandoned building for several days, he had time to think about his life and began to cry out to the Lord. Would the Lord hear him and have mercy? Yes, the Lord heard, and my friend was rescued and recovered. Over time, his life changed as he became a new creation in Jesus.
Consequences and Blessings
Just as there are consequences for disobedience, there are blessings for obedience to God. Most people in Jericho refused to believe or obey God. Rahab had observed how God was powerful to part the Red Sea and to conquer the kings east of the Jordan. She had come to believe in God and acted on her faith.
Rahab was willing to hide the Israelite spies and keep them safe. As a result, her faith not only saved herself, but her whole family. She became a part of the nation of Israel and is noted as an ancestor of Jesus in Matthew 1:5.
The blessings of Obedience to God
- A Closer Walk with God – We develop our relationship with God as we obey His Word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. This walk is not always easy, but we can ask God to forgive us when we fail. This restores our relationship and allows us to continue forward.
- We can better hear God speak – Jesus tells us that as believers we are able to hear His voice. John 10: 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.[2] This is a privilege as a believer. We may hear this voice through His Word, the Holy Spirit, or the wisdom God has given other believers.
- We are choosing what is best – God does not force His will on us; He gives us the choice to follow or not. God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins so that our relationship with Him could be restored. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that God draws us to Himself and if we allow, adopts us into His family. It is then we can be transformed and enjoy the hope of living with Him forever. These are the blessings of being a child of God.
Take time to ask God about the next step of your obedience to Him. What does He desire to do in your life today? To hear more about the blessings of obedience, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-jericho-rahab
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.