God Demands Obedience

Isaiah 1:19-20

Sometimes a person comes to a spiritual advisor and says, "I have no joy, and I've experienced very little for years."

The older, wiser Christian asks, "Did you once have joy?"

"Yes, for some time after my conversion to God."

Again, the advisor asks a question: "Are you aware of a time when you refused to obey some distinct command, a directive from God that you ignored?"

Then the face is cast down, the eyes fill with tears, and the answer comes with difficulty: "Yes, years ago I used to think that God required a certain thing of me. I felt sure God was calling me to do something, but I did not heed the call. I did not do what He wished and was uneasy for some time about it. After a while, though, it seemed to fade from my mind, and now it does not often trouble me."

The mature Christian responds, "My friend, that is where you have gone wrong, and you will never regain your joy until you go back through the weary years to the point where you dropped the thread of obedience. Retrace your steps and complet that one thing God requested of you so long ago. Then watch and see how the burden is lifted."

Isn't this the cause of problems for thousands of Christian people? They are God's children, but they are disobedient to their Father. The Bible rings with one long demand for obedience. The key phrase of the book of Deuteronomy is this: "Observe and do." The cornerstone of Christ's farewell discourse is, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." We must not question, reply, or excuse ourselves. We must not pick and choose our way. We must not think that obedience in other areas will compensate for disobedience in another. God gives one command at a time, and He expects obedience. If we obey all along the way, He will flood our soul with blessing and lead us forward into new paths and pastures. But if we refuse to heed the Master's call, we will remain stagnant and waterlogged, lacking power and joy.

In which areas of your life do you find it particularly difficult to obey God fully? Why do you think God calls us to complete obedience?