OBEDIENCE TO GOD

When Noah and his family entered the big boat, God closed the door behind them. For 40 days and 40 nights, rain fell continuously from the sky and underground sources until it covered the entire Earth, resulting in the death of all people and animals. All the people who rejected God were gone forever. Only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives survived the universal flood. Noah's relatives did not make it. Genesis 7:5 says, "So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him." God protected them because they were in the center of God's will. It was not easy for Noah to be obedient to God, but it was a choice that he made, and he was very determined to follow through. He did not allow anything that could deter him from following God. He may not have completely understood why he was building a big boat because it never rained before the flood, and it may seem very ridiculous to the rest of the world, but he'd rather be a fool in the eyes of others than disobey God. In the end, it all made sense to Noah. All his labors and struggles in building the ark brought comfort to him and his family. Most Bible scholars and researchers believe that it took Noah and his family about 75 years to build the ark. If that is the case, for about 75 years, Noah's relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances saw him and his family busy building the big boat, which didn't make sense to them. However, the last thing that they saw before they disappeared into the deep water was Noah's big boat. 

Obedience to God leads us to life. Following God may bring us to a very uncomfortable place: persecution and suffering. Or, it may require us to change our lifestyle, which is not easy, especially when we have to give up everything for the sake of following God. Paul said these words in Philippians 3:8, "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." Before the apostle Paul became a believer of our Lord Jesus, he had an amazing career as a religious leader in Judaism. He was very successful in what he did; however, when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he had to give up everything, including his career. He had to rebuild his life for the sake of following and obeying God. The only way to experience God in our lives is through our obedience to Him. Our obedience to God is not a one-time event; rather, it is a daily, moment-by-moment commitment we must make.

Let us examine our lives today and make a change to follow and obey God. Our obedience to God is worthwhile because we will ultimately witness the amazing results of our faithfulness. This is similar to Noah's experience when he and his family were saved from the great flood that wiped out everyone and destroyed everything else.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Am I living in obedience to God today? Is there anything that I need to change in my life so that I can follow and obey God? Why do I have to obey God?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, you know my heart and know everything about me. You know the struggles that I have in obeying you. Please help me to listen to your Word and obey you. Please continue to renew my mind and change my heart to conform to your will. Please help me to put you first in everything that I do today. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.