Simple Obedience

I attended a Bible teaching session last night about the evidence of true conversion in a believer's life. I am reviewing my notes today, still taking some things in, and wanted to share one of many points that spoke to me...

The speaker referenced scriptures throughout the Bible that indicate how nature obeys God's every command instantly, and without question. Bodies of water were created and stopped exactly where the Lord told them to. Animals gathered themselves two by two and showed up at the ark just as God told them to. The lion shut his mouth when God told him to and Daniel's life was spared. The sun rises and sets every day as God tells it to. Lightning strikes exactly where God plans it to. In fact, an example was given from last week's storms: a tree outside this little church was struck and according to its bent, it should have fallen on the church, but God... But God told the lightning to split the tree in two and to fall into the street and block traffic instead of falling on His house, and it did just as the Lord told it to do! No questions. No complaining. Just simple obedience.

My favorite scenario was her description of the wind and the waves when Jesus was asleep in the boat with his disciples. The waves were kicking it up in the water, tossing and jumping and having a party, because that's what waves do in a storm. The speaker herself was jumping around and having a great time... until the Lord said, "Peace, be still". Then it was like she froze in a game of freeze dance, representing the waves. When the Lord commanded them, they immediately became still. No questions. No complaining. Just simple obedience.

Everything in nature obeys the Lord. Why should we not as humans? All of creation (except us humans) obeys Him immediately and without complaint or questioning His ability. Why should we? If only we obeyed Jesus like the waves... go when He says go, instead of continuing to pray in hopes He'll change His mind; stop when He says stop, instead of pressing on in sin; obey when He says "yes" and obey when He says "no", instead of procrastinating. We all do it from time to time. Hopefully less and less. I thank God for His amazing grace knowing that Jesus died for every rebellious act in my life. But I pray that as He makes me more and more into His likeness that I disobey less and less, and walk more often in immediate obedience like the wind and the waves. To delay, to procrastinate or to not follow through with the Lord's promptings essentially says, "God, I don't think You're able" or "I think I have a better way" instead of believing that He knows best and responding immediately. No questions. No complaining. Just simple obedience.

Think about it...