Topic: Obey God Always, No Matter What [RICK WARREN Devotional 9 May 2020]
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Obey God Always, No Matter What
“I am determined to obey you until I die.”
Psalm 119:112 (TLB)Life is a marathon, not a 50-yard dash. And God wants you to commit to obeying him like a long-distance runner commits to a marathon. He wants you to be in it for the whole race.
Psalm 119:112 says, “I am determined to obey you until I die” (TLB).
Have you made that choice? I have. I am determined to obey God until I die. And because of that, I’ve experienced blessings beyond my wildest dreams.
Psalm 119:33-34 says it well: “Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey” (TLB).
“Just tell me what to do…” Do you ever feel like God doesn’t tell you what to do? That might be because you’re not doing what he’s already told you to do.
Philippians 3:16 says, “We should continue following the truth we already have” (NCV).
Until you obey what God has told you already, he’s not likely to teach you more things.
God does not play games. You might say, “God, tell me what to do and then I’ll decide whether to do it or not.”
But that’s not how God works. God wants you to say, “I will do whatever you tell me to do, no matter what.”
That’s faith.
Simply accumulating knowledge isn’t faith. Faith has to include action. In fact, the Bible says, “Faith without actions is dead” (James 2:26 GNT).
What is your faith like? Are you refusing to follow some of God’s instructions and finding that your faith is dead? Or are you obeying what God has told you and growing in your faith?
If you’ve realized there are some areas in your life where you’re not obeying what God has told you, pray this with me:
“Father, there are many areas in my life where I know what you want me to do, but I just haven’t done it. And I’m sorry. Please forgive me for my disobedience. I realize that it was a lack of faith. I wasn’t trusting that you knew best. I ask you to give me the strength to follow your directions immediately, completely, joyfully, and continually for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been in the past. From today forward, you can commit to obeying God for the rest of your life. You won’t regret it.
- What are some differences between a sprint and a marathon? Have you been treating faith more like a sprint or a marathon?
- Since faith is more like a marathon, what adjustments could you make in your life so you can run the whole race well?
- How have you seen your faith grow as you have obeyed God?