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aiah 1 v 19 If you are willing and obedient you will eat the best from the land.
What are the ingredients of a true and whole-hearted obedience that honours God and brings joy to our hearts?
1. It must be willing and not grudging.
Sometimes the matter that requires obedience is difficult, but nevertheless even though we may feel no immediate happiness in obeying, we still obey willingly. God takes that as love to Himself
2. Lively, fervent and sincere
It is said that Elijah prayed “earnestly” that it would not rain and it did not rain. It is that element of earnestness, sincerity and fervent obedience that brings glory to God and fruitfulness to our lives.
3. Our obedience should be whole-hearted
Psalm 119 v 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees.
In other words that the natural inclinations of our hearts would obey cheerfully and extensively all God has revealed to us
We should not be like the people Jesus spoke about in Matthew 23 v 23 “….you give a tenth of all your spices. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.”
We must be sure that we do not appear to obey God only in the easy things, but also in the difficult things that might require more sacrifice from us.
Prayer: O God. My heart naturally tends to look for the easy way out. Fill me with love for you and also for your precepts. Amen