Obedience

WORTHY THOUGHT: Late obedience is still disobedience.

When I heard those words “Late obedience is still disobedience” from a wise friend I met on a mission trip in Guatemala. I had a sense of conviction and God’s spirit spoke to my heart to write about it. The question I had even as a Christian, when have I disobeyed God?’ 

Maybe God wants to remind me and others as Christians it is easy to delay obedience. Sometimes we know the right thing to do but we don’t want to do it or Satan will always put things in our paths to distract us from doing God’s important work or we will get to it as soon as we are done with our daily tasks. 

Then it came to my mind and I started to remember. God has asked me to read and study my Bible on book of Matthew for my ministry but instead my husband and I went out to the movies. When I came back home from the movies I will read up on the book of Mathew before my bedtime a sentence or two later, I fall asleep . Next day I will be on Facebook for two hours checking to see who liked my picture’s instead of reading my Bible. Yep! Convicted!! It grieves me now that I am aware of this. 

Delayed obedience it is still disobedience. 

I do ministry work to disciple others and again we must value obedience. I have read book of Mathew before but that week I disobeyed, since I have not read the book of Mathew like God asked me too. 

I could not give out His message to my ministry, I panicked, I couldn’t speak, it was like empty words coming out of my mouth. I’m so thankful for my Christian co-leader who did read the Book of Matthew and she was able to give a great message what God was speaking in Book of Matthew. My co-leader valued obedience and by obeying God, He blessed her. By her example my co-leader obeyed Jesus and taught others to obey Jesus.  
I knew after I repented to the Lord I had learned my lesson. God gives us His grace and mercy and loves and forgives each of us. He is still willing to use me and you to obey His commandments and we will be blessed.

Jesus replied,” Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” – John 14:23

“Whoever heeds discipline shows way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. ” -Proverbs 10:17 

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.    – Deuteronomy 5:33 

Keep this Book of the law on your lips; meditate on it day or night, so that you may be careful to do everything in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful . -Joshua 1:8

 ~ Angela Lipe-Pattengill