Good morning Lord Jesus, I seek out and I need your Holy Spirit to assist me in obeying you as my Lord today.
This morning in chapter 21 we read:
“What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ʻSon, go and work in the vineyard today.ʼ The boy answered, ʻI will not.ʼ But later he had a change of heart and went. The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ʻI will, sir,ʼ but did not go. Which of the two did his fatherʼs will?” They said, “The first.” (Matthew 21:28-31)
A couple weeks ago in chapter 7 we read:
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” Matthew 7:24-27)
In these passages above you make it clear to us Jesus there is a difference between hearing your word and doing what your word says. Our Lives as Christians are not built solidly on the “Rock of Christ” because of our hearing and head knowledge of your words in the Bible, but our doing and acting upon them in our lives. You honor and desire us to read your Word and to pray and listen to Your Spirit’s teachings, calling ,and guidance. However, if we do not obey and actually do the things you are telling us to do, what good is it to You Jesus, or to us. You bless and honor my devotion time in the mornings, searching Your Scriptures, listening to the Holy Spirit, and writing down what I hear on how we should live our lives. However, when my posting is finished, my coffee cup is empty, and I close my laptop and get up off the couch, if I do not obey, do, and live out what I just posted, I am the boy who said “ʻI will, sir,ʼ but did not go.” “I am a hypocrite and a foolish man who hears Your words and does not do them, and my “house is built on sand.”
Going to church on Sunday mornings is not necessarily an act of “faith.” There is nothing “unknown” or that you need to rely on God for to go to church. It is a matter of your free will. Your decision if you are going to go or not is more on your calendar than faith. You choose to go or you choose something else you feel is more important that morning. Because if all you are going to church on a Sunday morning is to hear worship songs, to hear prayer requests, to hear a sermon, and not for encouragement in doing and obeying what you hear Monday through Saturday then what you heard on Sunday morning is nothing but sand to you. Do you go to church with the faith that whatever you hear that morning you will obey that week, no matter what the cost?
Jesus’s teachings are simple and consistent throughout the Gospels:
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.: (John 14:15)
“Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. The person who does not love me does not obey my words” (John 14:23-24)
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”(Luke 11:27)
““If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
My family, I thank you for taking the time to read this reflection. However, now as you finish reading it, what are you going to do with what you read? I pray you will obey the Father and go work in the vineyard today sharing the Gospel. And I pray you will build your house and that of your family on the “Rock of Christ” by not simply hearing, but doing what you hear God speak to you in His Word and Prayer, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
I would love for you to please share your reflections with myself or others using the comment box below.
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
