Regarding Obedience

By Fatoki Ifeoluwa

Devotional Reading: “All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3b NLT

In Genesis 12:1-3, Scripture captures for us, the details of the call of Abram. There are two parts to the call of Abram. The first was what God expected from Abram, and the other part was what God would do for him. The point is not that God’s blessings are transactional, but that God has saved us to a responsible faith. There are things God will not do for us, but rather ask us to do. At such points, what He expects from us is, obedience.

A friend once rightly said that obedience to God is in our best interest. But there are times when our obedience even goes on to have effects beyond us. The promise in verse three, that all nations will be blessed in Abram, would only hold if Abram obeyed. Thank God that Abram obeyed. But what if he didn’t? Well, God’s counsel would neither have been thwarted nor jeopardized, only that an alternative would have been sought to Abram.

God’s Words to us are indications that God is working out things which can be for us, for others through us, or even both ways. What God demands from us is not just obedience, but a prompt one at that. In verse four, we read that Abram departed as the LORD had instructed. Later in his walk with God, when God demanded him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, the testimony of Scripture is that ‘the next morning Abraham got up early’ in obedience (Genesis 22:3).

Beloved, we must treat the instructions of God and respond in obedience promptly. Truly blessed is the individual who, having known what God demands of him, goes ahead to do it promptly. In what has your obedience been delaying? Trust God for grace to be prompt in obedience.

Prayer and Confession
Father thank You for always instructing me. I receive grace to be prompt in my obedience to your demands. Amen.

Further Reading: Genesis 22:1-8