When we really get down to it, isn’t it impossible to keep all of God’s laws and commandments? Aren’t we always going to break some? This devotion looks at how burdensome keeping God’s laws and commandments really is.
Nuggets
- Keeping God’s laws and commandments all boils down to love for God.
- We may feel obedience is impossible when it is just challenging for us.
- The laws and commandments show us God’s character, which is holy and righteous.
- Not following God’s laws and commandments does not make us pure.
- Even with a light yoke, it is not going to be smooth sailing.
To read a devotion in the What Is Obedience? series, click on the button below.
Isn’t It Impossible to Be Obedient?
In the last devotion, we talked about keeping God’s commandments. Unfortunately, some of us find some almost impossible to keep some of them. Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context
“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome” (I Jn. 5: 3 NLT).
Obedience means “to hear God’s Word and act accordingly” (Holman Bible Dictionary). We think of the word obey, but there are several words that the Bible uses: hear, listen, and trust.
Obedience Is Not Burdensome
“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome” (I Jn. 5: 3 NLT).
Obeying isn’t as hard as Satan makes it out to be.
Let’s go back a second to what we said in the last devotion. Keeping God’s laws and commandments all boils down to love for God. If we love God, we are going to want to please Him. Keeping the laws and commandments expresses that love.
Aren’t things easier when we do them out of love? Our minds don’t put up as many roadblocks. The tasks don’t seem as daunting. We see success and blessings at the end of the line.
When we really out our hearts into it, we are blessed. When we are blessed, things become easier. When things are easier, it is easier to be obedient.
A good cycle!
Besides, doesn’t Jesus say that “… [His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light” (Mt. 11: 30 CSB)? Light is not burdensome.
But there is a reason for them being light. “I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me” (Prov. 3: 17 NKJV).
Newman said it this way. “Now it is obvious that obedience to God’s commandments is ever easy, and almost without effort to those who begin to serve Him from the beginning of their days; whereas those who wait awhile find it grievous in proportion to their delay.”
I read this to mean they become habits. They become our normal.
I grew up singing in front of an audience. That was my normal.
A while back, I stopped singing. I wasn’t in a choir; I wasn’t doing solos. My normal changed.
When I started back in front of an audience, boy was I nervous! It wasn’t easy because it wasn’t my normal.
But Is It Impossible?
Sharp makes a really good point. Is it really impossible?
Let’s say it is hard for us to pray daily. We may even say it is impossible.
But is it? People do that. People make the choice to be obedient and pray daily.
So, it isn’t impossible. It is just challenging for us.
Sometimes, we just use that as a copout. We don’t want to put forth the time and effort to be obedient. Or we don’t want to give up the sin.
There are times it does seem totally impossible to us. We may be looking at past history, the depth of our commitment, or a variety of other reasons — excuses — we use to say it is impossible.
We aren’t really focusing on God then. We are focusing on our inabilities and our understanding.
Remember, “… nothing will be impossible with God” (Lk. 1: 37 CSB). If God wants us to be obedient — and He does — it is possible to follow His Will.
Is Some Disobedience Allowed?
I am still processing one of Sharp’s comments. “All that our religion forbids is the irregularity and exorbitancy of our passions.”
I see that on some things, like wealth. We talked about how we shouldn’t put an exorbitant priority on gaining wealth.
I can see where God doesn’t want us to just pray occasionally. He wants regular communication.
But I see other things that we are just downright forbidden in which to engage. I will have to keep thinking on this.
Let’s come at it from an angle. Some say that there are no guilty pleasures — if they give us pleasure, there should be no guilt involved.
Others say that if we succeed in this world, that is a blessing from God — regardless of whether we had to disobey God’s laws and commandments to succeed.
Look, think about this. The laws and commandments show us God’s character. God’s character is holy and righteous.
Holy means to be set apart, perfect, and pure. Righteousness is the product of being holy, created by having faith and loving as Jesus does.
Not following God’s laws and commandments does not make us pure. It makes us human.
We want spiritual.
Yes, we are still human and are going to be until we are changed (I Cor. 15: 51). We are not going to get it right every time.
Still, we are called to be perfect. “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mt. 5: 38 NLT).
So, It Is Going to Be Smooth Sailing?
With a light yoke, that means it is going to be smooth sailing, right?
Wrong.
We are still going to struggle. We will still have to make the daily choice — sometimes minute by minute — to choose God.
Satan is going to make that as rough as he can.
What are the definitions of light and heavy? (You had to know Dictionary Chick would show up some time, didn’t you?)
Let’s look at these definitions of light.
- public knowledge
- a particular aspect or appearance presented to view
When we seek God, we grow in knowledge of Him. Now, the public aspect doesn’t fit because God only reveals Himself to His children. But He takes what little is in the Bible and presents Himself more fully to us.
- a particular illumination
- something that enlightens or informs
God is really good at showing our sins to us. He wants us to see them as He sea them so that we can eradicate them.
- having little weight : not heavy
- designed to carry a comparatively small load
- having relatively little weight in proportion to bulk
- containing less than the legal, standard, or usual weight
Is not the peace that coms when we are obedient to God so much lighter than the burden of sin’s guilt?
A lot of the definitions for heavy, as you would imagine, are the exact opposite. But let’s point out a couple.
- difficult to bear
- borne down by something oppressive
There are some that don’t think sin is oppressive. All they see is the pleasure and shiny.
Sin is oppressive because it leads to spiritual death.
Making the Connections
We do know that we cannot be obedient without God. God is fighting the spiritual warfare. We cannot exhibit self-discipline without Him.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
We also have to remember that we are tested through temptations. We just talked about that.
Let’s look at this. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (I Cor. 10: 13 NLT).
- This is a standard temptation. Others have been tempted in this way, too.
- God doesn’t leave us.
- He is always there to help us get through the temptation.
- He provides the pathway to obedience.
So, if others can withstand the temptation and be obedient, so can we. Remember, it isn’t impossible.
How Do We Apply This?
- We have to make obedience our normal.
- We have to make it practical.
- We have to seek obedience with all of our hearts.
- We have to seek the blessings from it.
The next time we feel obedience is impossible, we need to pray for God’s help to withstand. We need to claim His victory over Satan. We need to seek Him with all of our hearts.
Loving Father. Your Word tells us that nothing is impossible for You (Lk. 1: 37). We cannot withstand temptation without You. Strengthen us so that we can be obedient to You. Amen.
What do you think?
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