Following God takes obedience, which is simple but profound. Adam and Eve failed to obey the Lord and fell into sin that continues to have repercussions. When asked to build the Ark, Noah did not question the Lord but began to build a boat on dry land when it had never rained. Abraham obeyed when asked by the Lord to sacrifice his son Isaac. The next day, Abraham saddled his donkey and went on a three-day journey with his son, which he thought would end with his son’s sacrifice.
Genesis 22:10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now, I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” [1]
God is all-knowing and knows how each person would respond. So why would the Lord test us? God often tests us so we can grow in faith and become teachable when we fail. How has God tested your obedience, and how did that change you?
Obedience in the Little Things
Often, the Lord asks us to obey Him with seemingly insignificant things before He asks us to do substantial things. As we learn to obey the Lord in small things, we learn to trust the Lord in what He calls us to do. Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, knowing that He would be crucified on the cross for our sins.
In the Old Testament, the Prophet Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would humbly ride on a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt. [2]
The moment had come for Jesus to ride the donkey, but first, His disciples would have to obey Jesus when He told them to retrieve the young donkey. Luke 19:32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. [3]
Obedience Always Blesses Others
God rewards those who are obedient and those who are close to the obedient ones. For example, a parent who obeys the Lord blesses their entire family. Similarly, a child’s obedience will bless their parents. When you choose to follow the Lord, He will bless you. The Lord does this because obedience always leads to blessings.
To learn more about how following God takes obedience, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/weeping-amid-rejoicing
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.