I’m just trying to be honest here…whoever said that following God and what He wants for us is always easy was probably smoking crack!!! Because…
Sometimes I don’t like what God commands me to do (and neither do you!)
This thought hit me the other day when I read Deuteronomy 31:12 and then Deuteronomy 32:48-50. (Go ahead, click on the link and read the verses, I can PROMISE you that you have never seen them on a Christian T-shirt or bumper sticker!)
Moses is one of the greatest leaders in the Bible…and he was so faithful to the Lord that his last act of obedience was to climb up a mountain and die…a death brought about by the hand of God.
I don’t know about you…but…I might have tried to run from this one. However, Moses didn’t…he was faithful. There are some Scriptures where he did beg God to change His mind…but at the end of it all he surrendered. (WAIT…that reminds me of another story found in Luke 22:39-42.)
One of my fears in life is that I will always be the guy who is saying, “Whatever you want Lord…I will do it,” and then when He commands me to take a step that I won’t do it because doing so will, well…it will hurt, it won’t be easy!
But…I am beginning to realize that God is always calling us closer to Himself…and the closer we get the more we die. We cannot walk closer to God and remain the same. The Apostle Paul was able to pen the words of Galatians 2:20 and he was quoted in Acts 20:24 because he realized this…
No price was too high
No command was considered to be ridiculous
EVEN when it hurt!
Jesus said if we want to follow Him that we are going to have to take up our cross…translation…there are going to be times that it hurts! (See Luke 9:23) However…
James 1:12 says that those times are for our development.
Romans 8:28 says that He works all things out for His glory and our good.
Romans 12:1-2 says if we will become a living sacrifice (ouch) then we will know His “good, pleasing and perfect will!”
And…even though God asked Christ to go to the cross…Jesus was able to experience something that no one on the planet has been able to pull off either before or since.
There was a crucifixion…but it led to a resurrection!!!
God has greater things in mind for us than we have for ourselves. And…the path He commands us to take isn’t always going to be the quickest one, the easiest one or the one that makes the most sense. However, we can trust that He is HOLY and wants nothing more for us than the very best.
I may not always like what He commands me to do…but if I will stay faithful and follow Him, even when it’s hard…then I will always be content with the results that He brings about.