Fast Day 5 Obedience

For some of us, maybe not currently but at some point in the past, the concept of obedience causes a knee-jerk reaction, a cringe or wince. A type of reaction that makes you want to run in the opposite direction. A reaction that feels unnatural to our flesh and our human nature. You never hear anyone utter the words “I just love to obey” or “Obedience is my love language” To obey would mean to deny yourself the right to do as you please and to submit to the will of the one who is asking.

Obedience has been asked of us from the very beginning of time, as seen in Genesis when the Lord commands Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Genesis 2:6-17. We also see the Israelites being given the 10 commandments in Exodus and again in Leviticus with various  commandments. Many of these laws were given to protect the people from harm. Some were also given to set the Israelites apart as God’s chosen people

Obedience requires trust- to trust in the One who sees what we can’t see and knows what we can’t even begin to comprehend. It also requires faith- faith to believe that the One who is asking has a plan that is for good.  By trusting and having the faith to obey, we will inevitably be in communion with our Lord and be in right relationship with Him

Our flesh will always put up a fight, but there is power and freedom in obedience when we surrender Him and say “not my will but yours be done”.