Obedience is simply doing exactly what you have been told to do. It is this attitude that attracts God’s attention and favour. If there is anything that impresses God, obedience to His commands is that thing. God values obedience more than He does sacrifice. That was exactly what Saul found out  when, instead of killing every living thing as God had instructed him to do, he and his men spared Agag the king of Amalek and the presentable livestock of Amalek. To Saul’s arguement that the best livestock of Amalek had been preserved to sacrifice to God, Samuel responded by asking, “… “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord?…” (1Sam 15:22). Samuel answered his own question by saying, “…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” (1Sam 15:22). Why does God value obedience so much?
    Firstly, obedience to God is a demonstration of love for Him. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. …”. God says that those who love Him show it by their attitude towards His commandments. They do what He says to do. It is hypocritical to profess love for God while living in disobedience to Him. Furthermore, Jesus said in John 14:24 that: “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”
    Secondly, our obedience to God is an acknowledgement of His Lordship over us. Jesus asked :“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk 6:46), implying that it is futile to address Him as Lord if you will not obey Him. If God is truly our owner and master—for that is what ‘Lord’ means—we will be obedient to Him. King Saul’s attempt at selective obedience to God’s commands shows that he did not recognize God as his Lord.
    Thirdly, we demonstrate our faith in God by our obedience to Him. Faith can be defined as taking God at His word. The proof that you take someone at his word is that you act on what he says. Similarly, the proof that we have faith in God is that we obey Him. Every time Jesus commended people for their faith in God, it was related to actions they had taken in expression of their belief in the integrity of God’s word. Therefore your attitude of obedience portrays your faith in God.
    Fourthly, to obey God is to demonstrate humility before Him. Concerning Jesus, the Bible says, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” His humility became evident in His obedience. Humility is not necessarily an attempt at self-effacement but yielding to the HolySpirit.
    In conclusion, we would do well to heed the wise counsel Mary, the mother of Jesus, offered the servants at the wedding in Cana of Galilee: “”Whatever He says to you, do it. ”” (Jn 2:5). Obedience is the only acceptable response to God’s word.  Shalom. 

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Updated: March 11, 2021 — 4:56 pm

The Author

Pastor Obinna Ihekaike

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