Everything worthwhile in life comes at a cost. You must be willing to pay the price if you want to experience and enjoy it. But if you think the price for wisdom is too expensive, then try foolishness. Even the Bible says that wisdom is too high for a fool (Pro 24: 7). This is why they don’t desire wisdom.
It is not an understatement to say that God, who is your Father, wants you to be wise. We cannot overemphasize it. But there is a price to pay. Obedience is the price you pay for wisdom. Throughout the Scripture, we see God calling all His children to obey Him and follow His instructions. One of the reasons God speaks to us is to teach us the discipline of obedience. In fact, as I wrote in my new book, live “obedience is the way to keep pace with God.”
Obedience is about following a specific instruction toward an outcome. It is about hearing and doing what you hear, even if it doesn’t make sense to you or you don’t know why you are doing it. God has His own reason for asking you to do something. Being obedient to God’s instructions is very important to Him because it shows how wise you are.
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; peep them in the midst of your heart (Pro 4: 20-21).
My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. (Pro 7: 1).
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding (Pro 5: 1).
My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light (Pro 6: 20-23).
If you want to live in obedience, you must learn to listen to every word that proceeds out of your mouth (Mt 4: 4). When God speaks, He imparts knowledge and understanding. He gives instructions and direction.
When you are following God, you cannot do whatever you feel like. Obedience shows honor. It displays compliance. It reveals understanding. It shows loyalty and dedication. We become one with His word and then produce after what He has in mind when we obey Him in all things.
Your obedience must be full, not partial. In fact, someone has rightly said that partial obedience is disobedience. Do you remember king Saul in the Bible? He lost the throne because of disobedience. God, through the prophet Samuel told him that he had acted foolishly. So, disobedience is acting foolishly.
"And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you..." (1Sam 13: 13).
Obedience is possible when you understand that God is good and He has your best interests at heart and He will not set you up for failure.
Obedience is also possible when you understand that God knows what He is doing and His counsel has been established. When you are not living in obedience, what you are invariably saying is that God does not know what He is doing and He cannot help you.. I dare say that one of the reasons some of us are where we are today is because you have not learn the power of obedience.
Remember this, God will lead you by instructing you in the way you should go (PS 32: 8). If you are wise enough to follow Him, you will get to where He wants you to be and bring about His desired outcome.
Jesus’ teaching on the wisdom of obedience in the gospel of Matthew 7: 24-26 says,
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Prayer: Lord, I receive grace to be obedient to the instructions that you are giving me for the next phase of my life in Jesus’ name.
