Obedience

This is an excerpt from Experiencing God: Day-by-Day Devotional, November 2, which I read today. It spoke so loudly to me that I felt the need to share it.

Have you done what you know to do? "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17

It is never a minor thing to know God's will and not do it. God calls this sin. . . . in God's eyes, rationalization and procrastination are nothing more than disobedience . . . When we encounter God . . .it is not enough to write down the date . . . or even to tell our friends and church . . . God's call is not to "make a decision" but to obey! Deciding to obey is not equal to obeying (Matt 21:28-31)! Loudly affirming the necessity of obedience is not the same as obeying (Luke 6:46). Making commitments, even publicly, is not the same as obeying our Lord. Substituting our own good works is not the same as obeying.

God expects you to obey everything exactly as He tells you. Only obedience satisfies God's desire for obedience.

I'm praying that each of you experiences the freedom and joy of obedience today.