Tag Archives: obedience

“King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam.  He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, ‘I called you to curse my enemies!  Instead, you have blessed them three times.  Now get out of here!  Go back home!  I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward.’”   (Numbers 24:10-11, NLT)

There are times when obedience to God provokes the anger of powerful people.  Such is the case in today’s scripture reading.  King Balak “hired” Balaam for a job that Balaam could not perform and remain obedient to God.

Are we convinced that the gift of our heavenly Father are superior to any rewards offered by others?  Do we value the approval of our God above the accolades of kings of this world?

It is a rare man or woman who cannot be bossed; and cannot be bought by the “kings” of this world.  Are you one of them?  – Luther

(Note: The scripture above is a small portion of an account that, if read in full, will provide a more complete picture of the situation involving Balak and Balaam.  To read the whole story, begin with Numbers 22 and read through the end of Chapter 24.)

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“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”  (Matthew 7:21, NLT)

When valued against actions, talk is cheap.

Jesus says that it is not just our confession, but it is through our obedience to God’s law that we realize the rule of God.  Furthermore, as we see in the two verses that follow (verses 23 and 24), it is not our successes that impress our heavenly Father; it is our faithfulness.

How different is that from what we see daily: Where good words are often divorced from good deeds?  Give God the lead today — and faithfully follow!  – Luther

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“Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'”  (Mark 2:27, NIV)

We need to challenge the thought that God’s laws and commandments are designed to spoil the joy of living, in the same manner that Jesus challenged the thought that God created humanity to obey a predetermined set of rules that are independent of our benefit.

All of God’s laws and commandments have two distinct purposes: To provide for us; and to protect us.

From the day that Adam and Eve were in the garden, humanity has resented limits or boundaries without seeking to appreciate the benefits.  It is akin to resenting traffic laws without considering the benefit to order and safety that such laws provide to both motorists and pedestrians.

As our heavenly Father, God wants only protect us from unnecessary trouble and grief so that we might have life, and have it in all of its abundance.

We were not created to keep “the rules.”  The “rules” were created to keep us.  Therefore, obey the Lord with faithfulness, joy, and thanksgiving!  – Luther

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