Daily Devotional

-February 19, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Being Fully Obedient To The Lord-

“Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.”

(Numbers 1:54).

When God gave His commandments in the wilderness to the Israelites, He spoke them through Moses and they were written down for the people to follow. Today’s verse is so encouraging because the children of Israel did according to all the Lord commanded. Sadly, their history is littered with disobedience and idolatry.

Anything less than full obedience is disobedience. In the days of Joshua the people pledged their obedience to the Lord. Joshua 24:24 says, “And the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!’” Unfortunately, their obedience lasted such a short time. Joshua 24:31 says, “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.”

This is why we must pass down our faith and obedience to the Lord to the next generation. They will have to make their own decision to receive Christ and live for Him. We see it in our country and in the world today. The further we go in time, the further away people are from the Lord and His Word.

The Israelites later asked for a king to rule over them. God gave them King Saul. He started off so well. He was humble and obedient, but soon disobeyed God by sparing King Agag and the best of their livestock. Saul only partially obeyed which was disobedience. 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’”

May the Lord help us to be fully obedient to the Lord. It is the key to fulfillment, success, and victory in our spiritual lives. David, in contrast to Saul was fully obedient to the Lord. The hymn writer James H. Sammis wrote, “Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, where He sends we will go, never fear only trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Have a blessed and obedient day and weekend. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean