SHARING BREAD
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed
them. 7 They
brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on
them.
Matt
21:6-7 (NIV)
Obedience to Jesus’ Word in the believer’s life is to be a
given – for our good and His glory. It
is the outward evidence of a redeemed heart.
I am reminded of the words Paul penned in Romans indicating how faith
and obedience are so linked indeed obedience is to be the natural outflow of
our faith:
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace
and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience
that comes from faith. 6 And
you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:5-6 (NIV)
“It is a sweet sign of a humble and broken heart, when the
child of God is willing to obey a command which is not essential to his or her
salvation, which is not forced upon him or her by a selfish fear of
condemnation, but is a simple act of obedience and of communion with the
Master.” Charles H. Spurgeon
Peter adds that believers were chosen for obedience – an
election based on foreknowledge of our choice:
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect,
strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia
and Bithynia, 2 who
have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the
sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by
his blood: 1 Peter 1:1-2 (NIV)
In our verses for today we discover the two disciples Jesus
sent forth on a specific mission being immediately obedient to the Lord’s
Word. They appear to obey at once
without pause. If we were all as resolutely
zealous to put into practice God’s Word and the Spirit’s leading at the first
inkling it would not fail to enrich us spiritually. Most of us are found waiting, wavering and forgetting. It is easy to waste a life. Delayed obedience is disobedience. We are not
only to be hearers of the Word but doers of it as well – the practice of Truth
being the most profitable reading of it.
Head knowledge serves to only puff us up if it is not lovingly fleshed
out. We are not to be rebellious to the
Master’s call. I am reminded of the
Prophet Samuel’s words to King Saul declaring God considered obedience to be better
than sacrifice:
22 But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey
is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like
the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you
have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” 1 Sam 15:22-23 (NIV)
God knows the motivations and intentions of every heart. Saul was far more desirous of erecting a
monument in his own honor rather than following through on God’s clear directives. Keeping to the path of the Savior’s command
is better than any outward form of religion and to heed His precepts with a
listening ear is better than any precious thing we could possible lay upon His
alter.
“All the pretensions you make of attachment to your Master,
and all the devout actions which you may perform, are no compensation for
disobedience. ‘To obey’, even in the
slightest and smallest thing, ‘is better than sacrifice,’ however pompous.” Charles
H. Spurgeon
Obedience demonstrates
our trust in the Master’s love and care for us, What He intends for us to accomplish
on our brief sojourn here He has prepared in advance for us to do and is exceedingly
good. Indeed His will is perfect and
pleasing. God is no man’s debtor. Paul tells us:
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
“Faith, as Paul
saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the
commandments of Christ.” A.W. Tozer
“Love
for God and obedience to God are so completely involved in each other that
either one of them implies the other too.”
F. F. Bruce
“Holiness
is not a feeling – it is the end product of obedience. Purity is not a gift – it is the result of
repentance and serious pursuit of God.” Frances J. Roberts
What
I glean from this:
· Obedience is for my good and God’s glory.
· My obedience is to flow not from slavish fear but
loving trust that God has my best interest at heart.
· God prepared in advance works for me to walk in with
His power for His glory. The One who
gives the power gets the glory.
