When God speaks to us, and gives direction, He desires for us to obey all the way. He doesn’t want our interpretation of it, He wants our obedience. We’ve read the scripture…
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22
But have you continued reading…
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 15:23
I’d say that disobedience has a high price. Disobedience took Saul from being God’s anointed king, to having God’s Spirit leave him and God releasing a tormenting spirit over him…and what did the spirit of torment look like? Depression and fear. Read it here…
Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. 1 Samuel 16:14
Once again, I am convinced that depression and fear are spirits. This fact seems to be supported several times in scripture. I am more certain than ever that when we take our eyes off of God (The Spirit of the Lord) then we are much more likely to experience the torment…of depression and fear.
When we obey God all the way, even if the odds seem to be stacked against us, we have assurance. Assurance of things hoped for…we have faith…
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
We don’t need to see tomorrow, to follow God there. We only need to see God. We need to know where He is and stay close.
How do we know where He is?
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
There is a special kind of freedom we feel when we obey God. It’s unlike any other thing I’ve ever experienced…and once you’ve tasted that freedom, you would rather die than do anything to block it or fall out of sync with it. The joy I’ve found in following Jesus is so far beyond anything of this earth, that I will not tell Him, “No”.
Obedience. The key to freedom.
365 Days in the Presence 