Obedience

delay is not something that is natural to us. But, with God, He has made a way. My children are on a journey of learning obedience and I think all parents desire this; we know that obedience will keep them safe. Whether it be stopping before running onto the road, not touching a fire or avoiding playing with knives it is teaching our children obedience and trust that will keep them safe even when we can’t see them. Did you know that this is how God created things to be? It is His command that children honour and obey their parents. This is not so we can have an easy life but it is representative of how God views us, His children. We can be trained but in the end obedience is something that we offer, it is like a gift. Obedience cannot be reasoned. We finally lit our first fire last night and as we don’t yet have a guard we spent a lot of time simply telling our children ‘no’ and ‘don’t touch’. At 1 and 2 years of age they are not yet able to understand that the black box is hot and it will burn them and cause them pain. They need to understand ‘no’ and ‘stop’ and obey immediately for their own sake. As adults however, we often demand reasons and justifications before we will obey, that is do the will of another. God has plans for us to give us a future and hope, just as we do for our children. The only way we will know His plans is through obedience, not of our best efforts but through the miraculous provision of God.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.