The Bible teaches us that we are to be faithful and obedient. Most of us think we are faithful and obedient because we follow the Word of God in the most general of ways. However, God is not looking for general adherence to the Word. He looks at how we listen and interpret His commands.

When God told Abraham (Genesis 22) to sacrifice his son, Issac, he did not deliberate, he did not weigh the loss of a son, he, in faith, knew God had a reason he wanted him to sacrifice his son Isaac. He believed God’s commands had purpose and the outcome depended upon his response and love for the Lord. In this case, because of his obedience the angel, in verse 12, told him not to lay a hand on the boy.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” ~Genesis 22:12 NIV, Biblegateway.com

Sometimes God tests our faith and sometimes He instructs us in which way to go. The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time to convey God’s declaration to him.

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you… ~Genesis 22:15-16 NIV, BibleGateway.com

All scripture, that means every word in the Bible is God-breathed. He uses the Word to teach, rebuke, correct and train us in righteousness.

 ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV, Biblegateway.com

The NLT version says that it teaches us what is true to help us realize what is wrong in our lives. The Word teaches us to do what is right.

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT, Biblegateway.com

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV, openbible.info

Abraham clearly chose to listen and follow God’s command. He was 100% in. He did as instructed. How often do we follow God’s instructions for our lives?

There was a time when God instructed me to stop spending. I thought, I was not overspending and interpreted His message as being more of a request and not a command. God knows the path to our destiny. He is the great architect. I had prayed for Him to reveal the next stage in my life to do His good work. Little did I realize that overspending was a lesson I needed to follow to get to the next stage. I did not follow His command like Abraham. I scaled back, like Saul who interpreted the commandment to meet his own needs.

To borrow a quote from Radical.net, God help us. Help us to give to you in worship what you have asked, the obedience of our hearts. God help us to hear your Word, and to obey your Word; hear your voice, and obey your voice. We pray that you would be glorified in our obeying your voice. ~Obedience of Sacrifice,1 Samuel 15:22 ESV.

God knows us. He created us and He knows how we will respond. The money was not the issue. My heart was the issue. Jesus said to Peter, if you love me obey my commands (John 14:15 KJV, Biblegateway.com), meaning follow my Word. He commands each of us to do the same thing, “obey/follow my commands.”

We pray that you would be glorified in our obeying your voice. God, we pray you would keep all of us, from at any point, getting caught up in practicing religion, and going to church, and taking part in this or that activity, while disobeying you and your word in our lives. ~Obedience of Sacrifice,1 Samuel 15:22 ESV, Radical.net.

In looking back, I now see where I strayed. I did not immediately follow His commands. I did not curtail my spending. I, like Saul, who told Samuel, that he did kill all the Amalekites as commanded, added I brought back Agag their King. I thought I followed God’s command to stop spending, however, like Saul, I left one thing out.  I slowed my spending down. As a sidebar, I felt guilty each time I did, but that did not stop me. How often do we fail to listen to the quiet voice telling us we are in the wrong yet forge ahead anyway? My decision to follow God’s command my way was a form of rebellion.

Samuel told Saul: ³ When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”¹⁴ “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.¹⁵ “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

¹⁶ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night! “What did he tell you?” Saul asked.¹⁷ And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? ¹⁹ Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? ²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. ²² But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?

Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. ²³ Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols!” ~1 Samuel 15 NIV, Web.mit.edu

Like Saul, I heard what I wanted to hear. I interpreted what I was commanded to do in a way that satisfied me. I did not obey the Lord as Abraham did. As followers of Christ, we must train ourselves to be obedient in all things, not just some things. God listens to our voice and watches our actions that demonstrate either our obedience or our act of rebellion.

We reap the consequences of self-love/rebellion, following our own interpretation of what God commands. In my case, our finances spiraled downward. If I had listened to His command, I would not have been in the position to have to rebuild financial solvency, and Saul would have been the King of Israel.

²⁶But Samuel said to him, “…You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as the king of Israel!” ~1 Samuel 15 NIV, Web.mit.edu

All scripture is God-breathed. The Word is not open to interpretation that satisfies our pride. It requires complete obedience. Obedience is defined as an act or practice of obeying, dutiful or submissive compliance. ~ Online Dictionary.

Our actions are judged through the lens of obedience or rebellion. As Christians, we are being observed by many. Our actions speak louder than words. If we tell others to submit to the Word and be disciplined, we must first practice what we preach. As doers of the Word, we must learn to be obedient. God, through the Holy Spirit, reinforces His Word and His Will for our lives.  We are rebuked as needed, trained, and corrected in righteousness. God continually prunes the dead and withering branches in our lives to strengthen our dedication and submission to Him.

This article is purposeless if we do not examine our motives and submission to the Word of God. Ask yourself:

• Am I an Abraham or a Saul?
• What have you learned about yourself from this study?
• Do you obey God’s commands like Abraham, operating in the spiritual realm being obedient and specifically following God’s commands and instruction for your life?

or

• Do you operate in the carnal realm of rebellion like Saul?
• What are your plans to fully submit?

Our life is a journey. We will stray from the straight and narrow path more than once during our lifetime. Our mission is to learn from each mistake, apply it to our lives, submit to God, work to eliminate rebellion and serve our God by sharing the Good News with all within our scope of influence.

We must always work to be faithful and obedient understanding that God’s way is not our way and stop interpreting His Will for us using our finite scope of understanding to forge our own path.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:8-9 NIv, biblegateway.com

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all of your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. ~Proverbs 4:26-27 NIV, biblestudytools.com

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ~Isaiah 30:21NIV, biblehub.com

Photos: Google.com, free images