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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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