God Desires Obedience from His Children

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” –I Samuel 5:22 (ESV). If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” –John 15: 10-11 (ESV).

The words of the hymn “Trust and Obey” written by John H. Sammis (1846-1919) have been going through my mind repeatedly for the last several hours, especially the chorus: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.” We are very familiar with obedience. As children, we were taught to obey our parents or else suffer the consequences of disobedience. In the Christian life, obedience means to study and hear God’s Word, to act upon its precepts and to live by its guiding principles. In the Old Testament, as indicated by the verse cited from I Samuel 5:22, obedience is related to listening, to hearing. We first must hear and understand what is expected before we can perform the desired behavior. The Bible gives example after example of failure to hear and do God’s Word. “But My people did not listen to My voice, Israel would not submit to me...O that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in my ways!" (Psalm 81: 11, 12 ESV). Jesus admonished, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 ESV).

Obedience affects the spiritual life in multiple ways. In the verse above from Samuel 5, we are told that the Lord delights far more in our obedience than our sacrifices. He had much rather we obey and follow His Word, than bring offerings into His treasury. The obedience, the wanting to follow Him, should be in place first; then we will want to bring offerings. Our salvation itself is dependent upon our obedience in faith. We believe—we have faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing, we have abundant life while on earth and eternal life hereafter. Salvation comes through our acting in faith on our belief and accepting—which is an act of obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We listened; we obeyed. As the hymn writer so aptly expressed this obedience by faith: “Trust and obey, for there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Keeping the commandments of Christ—obeying Him—leads us to be filled with the love of God. Just as Jesus obeyed God in doing what He came to earth to do, so we who follow Him will want to be obedient servants of the Lord. And what great spiritual rewards are ours! The joy of Christ will dwell in us, and our joy will overflow! (John 15:10-11).

In my experience as a school teacher, I observed that those children who were obedient to the school’s general expectations and rules and those who practiced good behavior, were obedient and cooperative in class, were those who learned more readily and progressed in their studies. The same was true in rearing my own children; when obedience and cooperation were practiced, we all could function as a loving family. In our spiritual life we know that God has given us the scriptures for our benefit to guide us in the right way. Disobedience comes from a sinful heart, one that has not listened and trusted God. God yearns to bless us. Just as disobedient children in the classroom and in the home, judgment and discipline are necessary. These “asides” distract from the true purposes of school and of family. Likewise, when we depart from God’s Word and disobey Him, we are failing in His expectations for us and will miss the blessings He wants to shower upon us. In the words of hymn writer John Sammis: “But we never can prove The delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows And the joy He bestows Are for them who will trust and obey.” Prayer: Lord, we your children decide to obey or not. We pledge anew to trust and obey. Amen.