Obedience Living
Gift of Compassion
Have your own trials and sufferings affected your heart of compassion towards others? Do you struggle with feeling sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of others with very little inspiration to help?
Jesus warns us about having compassion for others when at the end of our lives we will be held accountable for how we treated others. He will proclaim you ‘blessed’ by His Father to inherit the kingdom prepared for you when you live a lifestyle of compassion towards others.
“For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.” (Matthew 25:35-38)
His followers wanted to know how and when they had done these acts to Jesus and He explained that “…as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
For those who lacked compassion for the suffering Jesus ‘condemned’. In other words they would have no part of Jesus and were told to depart from Him, cursed into eternal fire that had been prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41) All because they refused to follow Jesus.
Our personal sufferings tend to turn our focus on ourselves and walking through it can block out others in their pain. Compassion is always available to us when we place our trust in God to see us through. This same compassion that we receive can be a blessing to others when extended. The world would truly be a better place.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4)
Blessed Living
Success is measured in results or outcomes, such as the gaining of wealth, fame or rank. Blessing is measured in the gift of devine favor such as anything that gives happiness or prevents misfortune. Success can be momentary whereas blessing is designed to become a lifestyle.
Blessed living speaks to the way of the righteous and not the way of the wicked. The blessed man or woman chooses to become a student of God’s Word, His best practices for blessed living.
“Blessed is the man who[se]…delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1,2)
Living a lifestyle with the singular motivation of gaining wealth, fame or rank can lead us into choosing the way of the wicked and therefore forfeiting the blessed life. This man or woman will walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand with the sinners and sit with scoffers. (Psalm 1:1)
Blessed living is pictured like a majestic tree that is planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in the proper season. This lifestyle has a long term view, investing now for future returns that reap happiness later.
Blessed living is also described as a tree with leaves that do not wither, as in all that this man or woman does prospers. This is devine favor from God.
The wicked may have momentary success but at great cost because it is short-lived.
“The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” (Psalm 1:4)
The way of the righteous is the blessed life so choose wisely the lifestyle that leads to blessed living.
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, in all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)
God & Forgiveness
Forgiving one another is very hard to do and yet God has asked us to do it for our sake more than His. I have discovered that the struggle of forgiving has much to do with perspective and approach.
But first, lets take a look at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant told by Jesus in Matthew 18 about a king who wished to settle his accounts with his servants. There was one servant who owed him ten thousand talents (~$6 billion in today’s terms) and could not pay. His master determined to sell him with his wife, children and all that he had in order for payment to be made. The servant fell on his knees, pleading for patience and mercy and it says:
“…out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” (Matthew 18:27)
Now this is where we come into the story. The same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (~$12 thousand in today’s terms) and began choking him while demanding “pay what you owe.” (vs 28). Needless to say, word got back to his master who summoned him and said:
“You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32,33)
The servant was delivered to the jailers until he could pay all his debt. In this parable we are the servant and God is the Master. Jesus goes on to tell us that forgiveness must come from the heart.
The Apostle Paul gives insight on the approach. After reminding us that we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, we are to put on:
“compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:12,13)
God offered forgiveness to all for a debt we could not pay. He gave His Son, Jesus in compassion and kindness for our lost souls.
Who do you most identify with? The wicked servant who refused to forgive or with God who has forgiven you and only asks in return that you do the same for those who owe you a debt? Mercy for mercy.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay’, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)
Aim for the blessed life and forgive!
God’s Timing
Our life in God is filled with purpose and He promises to lead us toward the timing of its fulfillment while using every season of our lives.
Queen Esther could not have imagined that God was mindful of every turn that her life took toward fulfilling His divine purpose.
“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b)
Esther’s story gives a glimpse into the sovereignty of God and how He works through life circumstances beyond our control to fulfill our purpose.
Although orphaned at a young age, then torn from the only family that she had ever known and cast into a year long beauty preparation before being presented to King Ahasuerus, her reputation of “…winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her,” (2:15) preceded her with the King.
Esther’s trust in God with the outcomes of her life, “Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, ‘and if I perish, I perish’.” (4:16b) and her humility and obedient response to Mordecai, her uncle and father figure, made her an ideal candidate as God’s vessel to deliver the entire Jewish race at that time!
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Are you trusting God with the direction of your life? When we trust and obey with contentment we can be assured of not missing God’s timing, placement and fulfillment of our purpose on this earth.
“The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7)
God With Us
How can we know that all will be well in this life and journey with God? How can we allow challenges in this life to grow our faith instead of weaken our faith? Last, how can we know that we are on the winning side in our journey with God through life on this earth?
We must take God at His Word and believe in His promises. We must accept that His way of leading us and working out life issues will often take a different approach than we might take. His thoughts and ways are far above our ways of thinking and problem solving.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8,9)
Once we embrace this truth we can believe God’s promise that all will be well with us. In love, He links this promise with obedience, specifically, obeying His commandments.
“But this command I gave them: Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.” (Jeremiah 7:23)
Trusting and obeying God keeps us in a position of triumph. Jesus overcame everything in this world that could possibly come against us. He is Immanuel, (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:23)
Walk in all the ways that God commands you and He promises to be with you.
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal possession…” (2Corinthians 2:14)
Firm in Faith
God gives a strong warning about the stability of our faith in the Book of Isaiah when the people still had an opportunity to hold fast to His divine promises to spare them from destruction. At the core they were struggling with disbelief.
“If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” (Isaiah 7:9b)
Near the end of King David’s life after God had delivered him out of many life threatening trials, betrayals and warfare he accounted his triumph to his faith in God and His divine promise to establish his throne forever;
“As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity…” (1Kings 1:29)
God also gives a strong warning for the unstable in faith. He connects instability in faith to a lack of trust in His wisdom to lead us through adversity.
“But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-8)
Jesus warned us that we would have trouble in this world. He also encouraged us to take heart and trust in Him who has overcome the world. In other words, He has already made provision for us to triumph! We are called to trust the process of being led and God’s readiness to help at every turn of events.
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
Be firm in your faith and God will deliver you out of all your troubles!
God My Refuge
Life has a way of reminding us that we are not smart enough, strong enough or clever enough to get ourselves out of a dilemma that we or others had something to do with creating. Everyone needs the security of knowing that when we get into a troubling situation that there is someone more powerful and able to help when we’ve exhausted our resources and stand powerless, in need of intervention. God is our refuge and He always has a good plan for our lives when we place our trust in Him.
“He will send from heaven and save me; He will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness.” (Psalm 57:3)
My world suddenly changed a couple of days ago when the unexpected happened. I was reminded that God is my refuge. He is my strong tower that cannot be shaken. He is my protection from danger and steadfast love, faithful to meet my constant need for provision. My sure foundation when everything around me is changing, He is my Rock and the lifter of my head.
“O my Strength, I will watch for You, for You O God, are my fortress.”
“My God in His steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.”
(Psalm 59:9,10)
God is our refuge and our strength, trust in Him to bring triumph over your enemies!
God & Waiting
“You’re in good company” I heard God speak to my heart one day many years ago when I was asking Him how much longer would I have to wait for a particular prayer to be answered. To be honest, His words startled me until He began to bring to mind some of the spiritual giants in the Bible who were called to ‘wait’ many years before seeing God’s promises fulfilled in their lives.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1)
Waiting in God’s economy is similar to being prepared. During the early stages of being called to do something for God we are naturally eager to see the fulfillment, but God knows that we are not prepared to sustain it. For most of us our eyes are on being established and not on the God who establishes.
“He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be greatly shaken.” (Psalm 62:2)
Are you moving in the direction of God alone becoming your rock and your salvation? If yes, then your waiting season is bearing fruit. You are beginning to understand that there is a connection between your waiting, your preparation and the fulfillment of your calling.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.” (Psalm 62:5)
Embrace the waiting and allow God to become your rock, your salvation and your fortress. When your preparation is near completion you will not be easily shaken and you will know that salvation comes from God alone.
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loretta j. willis, author 