My Worship Corner

“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:15-18

“4 minutes reading time”

To say that obedience is not easy it is an understatement. To obey it means to follow a directive, to carry out an instruction and that feels so unnatural because it asks us to go against our instincts. Our nature wants control, while obedience often requires submission. Sometimes it makes a lot of sense and you know you should do it, yet it still feels too hard. Other times it makes no sense at all yet you still feel that pull to follow where it is leading you. Either way one thing never changes. Obedience is always a choice.

A day has 86,400 seconds. If you spend about 6 hours sleeping that uses 21,600 seconds. That leaves you with 18 hours which means you still have 64,800 seconds of choices. Every single one of those seconds can shift the direction of your day. Some choices can even change your whole life. Those split second decisions truly can make or break you.

When I was a teenager the W. W. J. D. bracelets were all the rage. The whole idea was to look at the bracelet before making a decision so you would be more inclined to choose based on how Jesus lived. I understand what they were trying to encourage and it can be a good reminder. But the bottom line is that we actually have something much more powerful than a bracelet. We get to walk with Jesus all day every day. We never have to be so far from Him that we need a bracelet to remember His plans. We can always go straight to Him in our spirit and ask Him to lead the way.

Although I love the Christmas season, I feel like it is also the time when we are most exposed to making the most choices, being pressured from every direction. Everywhere we look something is shouting buy this or get that or go here or show up there. With events and parties and relationships pulling at us from every angle, how are you supposed to know what choices to make? Genesis 22:15-18 gives such a clear foundation. It reminds us that choices come down to purpose and faith.

Ask yourself: Does this align with the PURPOSE I know I have in Christ? Does it line up with the promise I carry in my heart? Does it honor the future God has prepared for me, my salvation, my eternal life with Him?  If the answer is no then walk away no matter how hard or heartbreaking it feels. If the answer is yes, then jump in no matter how scary or daunting it looks.

Move in FAITH knowing that God can, and God will do what is best for you according to His great will and purpose. All things work together for your good (Rm 8:28). The good the bad and the ugly will all still work together to accomplish the best outcome for your life.

That is why these micro decisions matter so much. But it would be nearly impossible to make 64,800 conscious choices every day. So how do you stay the course. By the power of a renewed mind (Rm 12:2). By having the discipline to come before the Lord daily in prayer and worship. By seeking His face before you seek His hand. By fully committing to know Him and be transformed by Him until you have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). Also, scripture promises that goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and that one day you will live with Him forever (Ps 23:6), so we can walk in confidence that we are making the right decisions when we choose to obey Him for He is for us.

God made sure to repeat His promise to Abraham to reward his faith and to assure him that his actions were not in vain. Abraham’s obedience was a testimony that it was worth sending a Savior through his lineage to bless and save the nations. And it makes me wonder what incredible blessing the Lord is waiting to release through your life and mine if only we choose the path of obedience.

This Christmas let us choose surrender trust and faith. Let us BELIEVE!

Prayer: Dear God obeying can be so challenging and yet so rewarding. Give me the strength to walk the narrow path today and the days of my life, living out the purpose you have for me. In Jesus name, Amen!