Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - July/81

Contributor - Sandy Hekhuis

Title - Joy Through Obedience

Topic - Women

Devotions Visitor's Day June 11, 1981

Scripture Readings.- I Samuel 15:22 - 24 Matthew 7.21 - 24 John 14.-23 and 15.-9 - 11 Philippians 3:1 and 4.-4

For our devotional time I would like for us to consider two small but important words. If you were to look in any concordance you would be truly amazed by the number of references made to these two words.

The first word is obey. Perhaps you can think of it this way: 0-our B-being E- entirely Y-yielded. In the Scriptures which we have read, we see that God has some clear, forthright statements regarding the place of obedience in the life of the Christian.

In our Old Testament reading we see some very strong words regarding obedience and likewise disobedience If we were to have read the earlier portion of I Samuel 15, we would have seen that Saul had been told to destroy completely the entire Amalek nation, but instead of doing that he had captured Agag, the King of the Amalekites and had also kept the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice. When confronted with his disobedience, he excused himself, as we so often do, and then we have Samuel's astute and inspired words, "Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifice as in your obedience?" Saul thought God would be particularly pleased with his sacrifice. Many times we are in Saul's category, however God is more interested in our obeying Him than in anything we can offer Him. Many of us, from time to time, believe like Saul that we know better than God. We too often steer away from strict obedience to God's Word and take a little different tangent, so that we can show God that we are doing something special for Him. Most of us by nature are not obedient to God, or others in authority, and we try to rationalize why we don't obey. We often obey when it is not costly, when it feels right, is comfortable, and fits in with our plans, but obedience distinctly shows our acceptance of Christ's Lordship and His authority in our lives. Obedience always produces results in that it reveals the next step in the will of God for us.

Spiritual wisdom comes from obedience. Obedience is also the evidence of our love for Him. Many times in the Bible Jesus commands people to do a certain action and it is as they obey that they receive their healing. It is because of our obedience to His way and His Word that we are able to grow and mature in this life.

We rebel when we substitute a good idea in opposition to what God requires. God takes rebellion seriously, He says that it is as bad as being involved in the occult. Rebellion is like idolatry. It's placing our ideas in place of God's ideas, commands and opinions. Sometimes we are arrogant enough to feel our way is better than God's. It is often not easy to obey; sacrifice seems so much easier, but the Lord clearly and unreservedly says, "If you love me you WILL obey me!"

Our little boy loves to sing a song which says, "Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly as the Lord commands: doing it immediately. Action is the key; joy you will receive. Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe". A simple little tune but filled with a wealth of wisdom. May each of us ask the Lord to guide us moment by moment as we seek to obey Him; remembering that it is simply our being entirely yielded. It is not a Sunday or some day yieldedness, but an everyday yieldedness. Then we shall truly experience in our lives that other short word we shall mention which is joy, J(esus) 0(thers) and Y(ou).

Christianity is essentially a religion of joy. The life of Christ is a living contradiction of the claim that to be a consistent Christian one must be an apostle of gloom. The Pharisees of His day frequently complained about Jesus' lack of strictness and that His whole attitude was lacking the severity they had become accustomed to associate with a prophet. Christ had come to earth to proclaim a religion of joy. Already on the night of His birth, the angel messenger had announced, "Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people". Wherever He went throughout His earthly ministry, He brought joy to the sorrowing, cheer to the downcast and gladness to those who were walking in the shadow of death. The aim of His earthly ministry was to restore joy to human hearts which had been bound by sin and sadness.

It is significant that the Saviour referred to this joy on the night before His crucifixion. After speaking to His disciples intimately, He says, "These things have I spoken to you that your joy might be full". Anyone who reads the history of the early church will agree that joy was a dominant note in the lives of the apostles. This does not mean that their lives were easy, no, quite to contrary their lives were beset by hardship, but they found joy amidst such trials, pain and martyrdom.

Christ and the early Christians have given us the example. Are we following the example set down in Scripture lasting joy, namely J-Jesus, 0-others, Y- you? Christ came to have first place in each of our lives and He justly demands this. He also came to serve others and lived the life of a totally obedient servant, even unto death on the cross. We too are to seek and serve joyfully our fellow men. In serving others, we experience a joy that is satisfying and lasting. Christ also expects us to accept ourselves as His children made in God's image.

Do we regularly thank Him for our uniqueness, our talents, for the gift of life and especially of gift of new life? Perhaps some of you, like me, have at one time or another experienced difficulties with self-acceptance, what the psychologists call the self-image. I distinctly remember when my husband went to seminary, initially I felt like a bit of an outsider. I had not grown up in the R.C.A., I had not attended one of the denominationally sponsored colleges. I was not an elementary school teacher, I couldn't sing (at least not on key), and I wasn't even Dutch. However, even though I struggled with self doubts, I never doubted God's wonderful love for me, and so I came to the place where I realized that I could do no less than also accept myself.

A few years ago a kindly, softspoken older gentleman said to me, "We love you just because you're you." It was such a simple little statement but it has remained one of my most cherished moments. And that is exactly what God says to each of us. My children, I love you just because you're you and you're special to me.

Another cherished moment I look forward to is to hear, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of my salvation". I am assured that I and all of you will hear this as we are obedient to His Word; as we live joyfully for Him, serving Jesus first, others second, and as we accept and love ourselves as persons created in the marvelous image of God.

An anonymous writer has stated that we can experience more joy of a lasting type as we, (1) listen more than talk, (2) give more than take, (3) trust more than doubt, (4) smile more than frown, (5) respond more than question, (6) compliment more than complain, (7) serve more than demand. May the Lord help each of us to daily do this.

"Trust and obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." "Rejoice and again I say rejoice!"

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