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SOUNDING OUT:
One Step At a Time
Being led by God’s power requires
obedience both to his written Word and His revelation manifestations.
When it comes to revelation, oftentimes God tells us only what
we need to know now. Then as we faithfully carry out His first
instructions, He gives us further direction. Obedience is the
response that keeps our dialog going. We just have to take one
step at a time, and God delights in our obedience.
I Samuel 15:22,23:
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings
and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to
obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of
rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because
thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected
thee from being king.
Saul got in trouble because he let
the people push him. His fear of the people stopped him from obeying
the Lord. Don’t delay obedience or let anything stop you
from doing what God tells you. Paul asked in Galatians 3:1, “O
foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not
obey the truth? There is never a good enough reason to not obey
the voice of the Lord.
Jesus addressed a parable to the chief priests and elders
of the people (Matthew 21:23) who refused to recognize his authority
and obey his teachings. Their refusal to obey kept them from the
kingdom of God he was preaching.
Matthew 21:28-31:
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to
the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not:
but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and
said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will
of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto
them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots
go into the kingdom of God before you.
As David Stevens said, “Obedience,
pure and simple, opens up a pathway for the work of God.”
The work of God is conducted by those Who obey His voice. No man
is excused from obedience by his position or function. The chief
priests and elders of the people are as responsible as anyone
else… everyone has to obey.
Philip obeyed without knowing all
the “whys” and “wherefores.”
Acts 8:26-35:
And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and
go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem
unto Gaza, which is desert. [Why?]
27 And he arose and went: and, behold,
a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace
queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure,
and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his
chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip,
Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. [Why?]
30 And Philip ran thither to him,
and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest
thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except
some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would
come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which
he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and
like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment
was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his
life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip,
and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself,
or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and
began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
You’ll
see the same kind of obedience in the account of Peter going to
the household of Cornelius. He didn’t know everything before
he left. He just kept walking and it was revealed to him as he went
along. Sometimes I think that is very gracious of God to do it that
way. First, because we don’t have to remember every detail,
and second, because if we really knew all that was entailed perhaps
we would not start the journey. Just remember the Word of God will
never take us where the grace of God cannot keep us.
Simply take one step at a time. God delights in our obedience.
Obedience, pure and simple, opens up a pathway for the work of God.
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