Obey God’s Word

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Parents expect children to obey their teachings. Governments expect citizens to obey rules and regulations. Bosses expect subordinates to obey their instructions. As earthly citizens, we dutifully oblige in rendering obedience, albeit grudgingly at times. As we grow up, we also learn that where obedience is required or demanded, willful disobedience can result in dire consequences. Here lies the irony: In our relationship with God, we think lightly of obedience to His Word despite His promise of blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience.

Your obedience to God’s Word does not only affect your own life. It affects souls for eternity. It also affects how families, societies and nations will eventually measure up on God’s weighing scale. Throughout the Bible, God has shown us many examples in His dealings with mankind. Obedience to Him and His Word will result in blessings while disobedience will lead to punishment, discipline and chastisement. We need to make our choice.

What does God say about this?

A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

Malachi: 1:6 (NIV)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

James 1:23-25 (NIV)

What does this mean for practical living?

God desires our good just as our earthly parents and guardians would. Since time immemorial, He has made known to us what we need to do to enjoy His goodness in our lives i.e. obedience to Him and His Word. Such obedience should not be interpreted as a means to avoid punishment, which is what we are more inclined to thinking in our life situations, for that would be totally inconsistent with God’s character. When we obey His Word, we set the stage for God to accomplish His will and purposes in our lives.

God demands our obedience because that is the only way to living a holy, abundant and victorious Christian life. And He will do His part to work through our obedience to make all things work together for good in our lives and that of others. We obey His Word when we speak it as if they are the oracles of God, when we carry out a command that we discovered in studying the scriptures and when we stand firmly on a promise that He has made in His Word to see its fruition.

Reflect and respond to God’s Word

• Recall a situation in which you chose to obey/disobey God and His Word. What happened?
• What are the reasons that cause you to take God’s Word lightly?
• How would you demonstrate your seriousness in obeying God’s Word at home, at work and in social situations?