“The other day,” Stan commented one morning, “I was talking with a neighbor about obedience.”
“Obedience?” I replied. “What did you want him to obey?”
“It wasn’t about me,” Stan said. “It was about God.”
“Oh,” I replied. “About how we are supposed to obey God? Is that it?”
“Not so much about what we are supposed to do,” Stan said, “but more about whether God needs our obedience.”
“Needs our obedience?” I questioned. “Versus what?”
“Whether He wants it,” Stan replied.
“Wants verses needs,” I said. “I suppose God doesn’t really need us to obey. He’s God and He can do whatever He wants without any help or input from us.”
“I agree,” Stan replied. “God doesn’t need my obedience, but I do think He wants it, and if I don’t obey it’s my loss not His.”
“Your loss?” I said. “How so?”
“It seems to me,” he replied, “that being allowed to be a part of what God is doing for His kingdom on this side of eternity is a blessed privilege. If I don’t obey what He has for me to do in being a part of what He’s doing, I will have missed out. He’s going to do what He’s going to do. I can choose to join Him or not, but what a loss if I choose not!”
“Yeah,” I said, “I can see that. God may not need me to do anything for Him, but it’s my loss if I don’t. He wants me to be ever closer to Him, but He’s not going to force it. If I choose for it to happen, it will. If I don’t, it won’t. And it’s my loss, not His.”
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Bible versus to consider:
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15.
He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. John 14:21.
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. John 15:10.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you so loved the world that you gave Jesus so that all who believe will spend eternity in your presence when it’s time. Thank you for allowing me to draw ever closer to you by obeying and being a part of what you are doing for your kingdom. I confess that too often I don’t obey what you have for me to do. As a result I miss out on being a part of what you are doing. Please forgive that foolishness and help me to obey so I miss nothing you have for me. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life with Him forever when your time here is completed? If no, why would you choose not to be a part of His eternal plan for you? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with your obedience on this side of eternity? Do you believe that there is a direct connection between your obedience and being allowed to be a part of what God is doing for His kingdom? If you sense the need for change in your obedience in what God has for you to be and to do, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 