When we obey God’s instructions, it shows that we completely understand His sovereignty and put all our trust in him believing that the end will be great. Human reasoning can only know so much. Logic will always fail where the wisdom of God lies and so the human wisdom can only do so much. The instruction of God might seem irrational like building a boat when there is no sign of rain, but we must demonstrate faith and trust in God’s divine wisdom and trust that his thoughts towards us are for good and not for evil.
In today’s reading, Genesis chapters 6 to 8 and Matthew Chapter 3 to Chapter 4 verse 11, we see a common theme of obedience and how we can please God in our obedience to His word.
In Genesis 6 -8, we follow the increase of wickedness on the earth and God’s decision to cleanse the earth of this evil. He decides to preserve the life of Noah because Noah was obedient and his ways were pleasing to God. When God instructs Noah to build the ark and implement his plan to save the earth, Noah obeys.
Obedience also grants us the boldness to refute every lie of the enemy. To refute the enemy and his lies we must be grounded in the word of God. By meditating on scriptures we remind ourselves of God’s truth and grow in courage. We see a wonderful example in Matthew 4 where our Lord Jesus sent the devil packing using scriptures. The only way we can effectively fight back is by knowing the scriptures better and by trusting in the efficacy of the spoken and written word of God.
Our obedience is the workings we show as believers. In all your faith, show workings.
Reflect:: When was the last time you obeyed an instruction God gave you through His word?
Pray: Lord, let your word come alive in me. Help me to obey your word always.
Today’s reading
Genesis 6-8
1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.
3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive[a] with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.
Matthew 3 – 4:11
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”