Persevering in Obedience

Yes, God blesses our obedience to Him, but there will also be times when obedience brings hardship and pain before the blessings.

Persevering in Obedience

"I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

(Psalm 16:8)

One of Dr. Charles Stanley's most memorable quotes is, "Obey God and leave the results to Him." This statement is simple and easy to understand but can at times be hard to put into practice. In Stanley's "30 Life Principles" series of messages, he dedicates principle #21 to this topic of obeying God. The title of the message is "Obedience Always Brings Blessings". In this message, he teaches how the blessings of God flow to those who simply obey God. While it is true that God will indeed bless our obedience to Him, Stanley points out that there will be times when obedience brings hardship and pain before the blessings.

To obey God and then suffer because you obeyed God is simply a part of the Christian life. Jesus said in Mark 8:34, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus are all part of the Christian's responsibilities in obeying God. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do all that God asks of us to do. It is a wonderful and fulfilling life when we pursue Jesus and do what our Lord tells us to do. Sometimes following the Lord will lead you into difficulties. I think of the disciples in Matthew 14 when Jesus told them to get in the boat and sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They obeyed, and their journey took them right into the middle of a storm! Were they obeying God? Yes. There are times when you and I will be called upon to follow the Lord and it will not be easy. But what is so neat about this story is that the disciples got to see Jesus do some amazing and miraculous things all because they were where they needed to be.

I love Psalm 16. It is a song of David that inspires hope and confidence in the LORD. David says in verse 8 that he has set the LORD always before him. This tells me that David wanted to pursue, serve, and obey the LORD. He did not say the LORD was behind him; rather, he said the LORD was before him. God led David, and he, as His servant, followed and obeyed God. He also said God was beside him. I love this picture where God comes alongside His people and helps us along in our journey. We all need help! We need the Lord's power to obey Him. The remainder of this psalm is so powerful and inspiring: Psalm 16:9-11 states:

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Perhaps you are obeying God, and currently you are in a hard place. Let me encourage you to keep going. You are going to make it. If the Lord led you to it, then rest assured He will lead you through it, and you will be victorious.