I attended a church convention this weekend and made two, less-than-intelligent decisions. I arrived late, and I didn’t wear the appropriate attire. I figured those rules didn’t apply to me, but boy, was I wrong! One of our Bishops steered me in the right direction with the gentle arm of correction. 🙂 I knew then that it was all or nothing – I couldn’t pick or choose when I’d follow the rules.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our world is plagued by an attitude of selective obedience. Even Christians are guilty – we obey GOD on our terms and, most of the time, if it’s convenient. The verse cited above, however, reminds us that we can’t pick and choose with GOD; it’s HIS way or the highway. The writer of 2 Kings, in summarizing GOD’S covenant with Israel, said, “Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you” (2 Kings 17:37, New Living Translation). In other words, GOD requires our obedience all the time, not just when it’s easy.
When serving GOD, we shouldn’t look for the easy way out or justify disobedience. Instead, we should embrace an attitude like the Israelites had when Moses read the book of the convenant, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey” (Exodus 24:7, New Living Translation).
It’s pays to obey …