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| "but those who hope in the LORD will...soar on wings like eagles" Isaiah 40:31 NIV |
There is an important connection between trust and obedience
which makes a world of difference in the lives of Christ followers. For when we
truly trust the goodness of God we believe in His Word and we are eager to obey
Him. The flip side of course is doubt which paralyzes and produces
disobedience. How so? When God tells us to do something, not acting as
instructed is rebellion. The compounded
consequence is the immeasurable loss of blessing which is tethered to obedience
and the vast riches of growing deeper in relationship with our Heavenly Father.
We could list many reasons why obedience is not our first response
when the LORD calls us to His side in service. Yet, regardless of how many excuses
we conjure up, the truth is each proclaims the same reality; we do not have enough
trust in God and His Word over that area of our life to act.
The stinging experience of facing my own anemic trust in the
LORD was a turning point in my relationship with the Holy Trinity. For all my reading
and studying of the Scriptures, I had a disconnect between my heart and my
head. I knew the Word but I had not come to believe
the word for me. The result was a lag in my obedience which is the same as disobedience.
There were simply times I was afraid to do what God asked me. So I foolishly ignored
the Spirit’s prompting. Other times I delayed responding until it was
convenient and the opportunity was lost. I have no idea what adventure or glory
for the LORD was lost by my disobedience nor can I measure the loss of intimacy
with the Father my submission would have produced. But judging by the blessings
associated with acts of immediate service in my life, I believe the loss is
substantial. The Bible illustrates this principle again and again. For example,
Abraham was quick to obey God’s call
to sacrifice his son Isaac and the blessings of his single act of submission out-number
the stars in the heavens! Graciously God does not leave us guessing what
produced Abraham’s astounding obedience to this call. His Word states clearly
it was Abraham’s faith, his trust in
the goodness, faithfulness and power of God which empowered him to do the
unthinkable, (Genesis 22).
So how do we gain trust in God which will produce immediate
obedience like Abraham? First we must spend time getting to know God. That means
we read the Bible which is God’s primary and eternal revelation of Himself. Second,
we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us the nature of God at work in every verse and
how to apply it to our lives. After all,
the historical accounts of the LORD’s faithfulness to do what He says He would
do are provided as evidence of His sovereignty, omnipotence and omnipresence. In
short they prove Almighty God alone is worthy of our worship but most
importantly our trust. Third we ask
the LORD to heal us of any unbelief
which may hinder our obedience, (Mar 9:24). For, when we believe as Jesus
instructed Thomas; “Stop doubting and believe,” we are empowered like the obedient
servants in the Bible! (John 20:27NIV). Soon the idea of walking on water,
healing the sick, or even raising the dead become possible in the name of Jesus
Christ and we are free to respond immediately to God’s call. (Mar 5:29), (Acts
9:15-18), (Acts 9:34), (Acts 10:33), (Acts 16:33), (Acts 22:17-21).
I have found it true in my own journey of faith that the
more trust expressed in my walk, the more intimate the LORD is with me. Greater
intimacy produces deeper desire to surrender and serve. And though there are
still times when I blow it and miss an opportunity to draw nearer to God, I
find comfort in knowing His mercies “are new every morning”(Lam 3:22-23).
Let us rejoice in the truth that Jesus did not die on the
cross that we might be burdened with the weight of our weakness but that through
repentance we would soar by His power! (Isa 40:31)
Tracy L.
Frazier
Director/FounderThe FOLD Ministry
For further insight and teaching view the inspirational videos below.
Video Clip: Shelia Walsh : Beautiful Things Happen When a Women Trusts God
Worship Music Video: Chelsea Moon w/The Franz Bros - Trust and Obey
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