We all at some point in life have received orders or instructions, and upon receiving them we then decide on whether to act accordingly or not. Take home decor, for example, you buy an item of furniture and it arrives in several pieces with an instruction manual.

Some will follow the manual down to a T while others prefer to go according to how they think it should be assembled. More often than not, ignoring the manual leads to hours of unnecessary assembling and poor results.

Reading the manual for furniture and such is optional, however, following instructions in the Word of God is not up for dispute. God highly regards those who live in obedience to Him and doesn’t spare the rod when it comes to disobedience. Throughout the Bible, we see the results of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. Let’s look at two couples:

Abram and Sarai (Obedience)

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.”

(Genesis 12:1)

Anybody would have questioned God about where they were being sent to, but not Abram. He simply obeyed. Abram didn’t have a Pastor or a Bible to refer to for guidance and advice; he just heard a voice and at 75 years old, left everything behind in obedience to that voice. This is the level of obedience that God expects from us.

Adam and Eve (Disobedience)

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake;in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.”

(Genesis 3:17)

When you know the truth but do not obey it, you are making a conscious decision to disobey. You are purposely deciding to go against what God wants from you. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden on strike one! That is a clear sign of what God thinks about disobedience.

And the same goes for all of us. We can lose everything in a heartbeat. One decision to disobey can change the course of your life in a very bad way. Through His Word, by attending meetings at the church and by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through prayer, God shows us His will and reveals the rights and wrongs of this world, but He leaves it up to us to make that decision. To figure out if we will obey and be blessed, or disobey and suffer.

What decisions have you been making lately? Do you find yourself trying to negotiate with God instead of just obeying Him? It’s time to sacrifice. It’s time to obey the One who wants the best for you.

 May the God of the Bible bless you.

Bishop Joshua Fonseca