"Only this: Be vigilant to keep the commandment given to you - Love the Lord your God, walk in his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul." 22:5
Three of the tribes (Reuben, Gad and Manasseh) had faithfully served the Lord, received their promise, and were given freedom to go back to their families on the other side of the Jordan. They literally got to see the other side of their obedience. But before they were released, they were reminded of the expectation God had for them.
Obedience is based on love for God. Simple truth.
Sometimes we can focus so much on the tasks, or the tangible things we must do, that we forsake the reason we are doing them. Being a child of God means that we serve him with great joy, with reckless abandon, with fear-free faith. We can not let daily service become obligation rather than obedience. It is easy to become complacent with giving and serving because we feel like we "have to", versus always being challenged and strengthened with the messy things he ASK of us. I have lived both and I would not want to go back to complacency for anything in the world.
I was in sunny Arizona last week for work - sorry for those of you that were stuck in ice here. On my way home Friday night in Atlanta, I listened to this sermon on "Giving God Absolute Obedience." As I sat in terminal C and watched so many souls walk by me, the Lord poured out so much love and encouragement on me through this. His voice can reach even in the loudest of places, if we have our ears open to hear him.
Serving the Lord is so beautiful. Beautiful can look different every day. Some days are full of laughter, joy, and fun; some days are full of heartbreak, grief, and extreme exhaustion. I serve him because he saved me. I give everything I have to love others because he first loved me. That is what makes each day worth it.
Take some time to sit with the Lord and listen to this. If you already heard it, listen again.
No comments:
Post a Comment