Prompt Obedience: Do You Obey God Promptly?

Hello blog fam!
Welcome to another time on our #OnlineBibleStudy on here… if you are here and eager about filling up with God’s word, I am thankful for you. We don’t take it for granted that our appetites are for the things of God and not the things of the world.

 

So there is a really funny story about today’s topic… I had this topic in my heart about a year ago when I was serving during NYSC but then it didn’t just feel like the right time to share so I glossed over it.
Fast forward to Sunday when I was praying and it just came on that oh “Prompt Obedience” is our study on the blog this week.
So hopefully, aside from me, it’s a word in due season for someone out there.

 

If you are subscribed to the blog and read my last personal mail, you must have read the story on how God led me to give my book on NYSC to a corper at Ekiti State when I went to promote my book.
But God’s dealings with me on obedience didn’t start from then, it started from January 2015 when I went to a conference, was hit so hard by the Spirit and consecrated myself fully to Him and the next thing God asked was for me to give the funds I wanted to use to start a small business to Him.
And I am like *what????*
I had plans!
Been planning for like forever!
But then one passage God used to speak to me then is the passage I wanna use to share with us today.

 

I am going to be sharing the passage with us and then sharing points God spread his light on in my heart.
So if you are someone who struggle with PROMPTLY obeying God when He gives you instructions, I hope this helps us all…
“Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Genesis 22:1-2 NLT

 

(1) So we see that the call to obedience is actually a test.
But then, why does God need to test us?
I don’t know, can’t we just go on in our Christian race like that?
No.
Because the goal is conformity to Christ Jesus. It’s level by level and after each test comes the next level.
What you have learnt and how far you have come has to be ascertained right?

 

(2) The instructions God gives you to obey are almost always outrageous instructions.
I mean, how can You promise a man that through his child he will have a multitude of descendants and then you turn around and ask him to kill that child?
Does that make sense?
Ah this our God!
But you will agree with me that our God rarely ever makes sense.
Just like the type of instructions we get too…
Frances do this and do that, lay down yourself over and over for my name.
And I am like “God where is this coming from??”

 

So in the walk of prompt obedience, you rarely ever understand the instruction, in fact, it isn’t even necessary that you understand the instruction, what God needs to ascertain is your OBEDIENCE.
“The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.”
Genesis 22:3-4 NLT

 

(3) So here is where we find our answers on what promptly obeying God means.
The Bible says that Abraham (wise and time sensitive I might add) got up early in the morning the next day – without understanding what God was doing, He set out to obey PROMPTLY.
At the earliest possible time after he got the instruction – the next morning.
And I am like, if we didn’t know better, we’d think that he was so eager to sacrifice Isaac, like he had been waiting for this instruction for like forever.
But no.
He simply was a man always on his feet, ready to obey when God says “obey”.

 

And so I asked myself when I was studying this and ask you now, when do we set out to obey God when He speaks to us?
The next day?
The next month?
The next year!
Is the instructions still relevant at that time?
Is God’s need for our obedience still as hot?
Have we failed the test at the time we obey or is it still open?

 

(4) It took Abraham 3days to get to the place of the sacrifice.
Three whole days for him to have backed out but still he followed through.
What did Abraham have that we don’t have today?

 

You know, sometimes God tells us something and we drag our feet and stall and stall and by the time we do it, is it still as relevant then?

 

And then here is the part that tripped me in Abraham’s story after he had tied Isaac to the wood to be sacrificed (please dears, open your Bibles and read up for yourself):

 

“Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
-Genesis 22:15-18 NLT

 

Here we see the test results for Abraham declared.
God said “for now I know that you truly fear God”.

 

So I checked myself:
What does my test results say?
Does it say “trying to fear God? Still not quite there?
Still held back by her own desires?
Still held back by her own human fears?
What does my test results say?”

What does your test result say?

 

I think January 2015 was the start of God dealing with me on this issue.
It was an ultimate test for me.
The money God asked me to give then was a painful one for me.
I had toiled and saved and planned for it and then it came… give it.
It wasn’t the money I believe, it was a test for obedience and that test has informed all I do from that time time now and turned me around in a way I cannot define or describe… but that doesn’t mean that I do not struggle anymore.
There is always a higher place to get to in Christ, there is still more levels to get to in obeying God promptly, so that as He says, I do.

 

Today, you alone can analyze and judge your walk with God.
What does your test results say?
Do you promptly obey God?
Does it say “trying to fear me?”.
Obedience is a big deal to God.
It pulled down Saul from the throne and if we say I love you Jesus without obeying Him – promptly and in due season, we are still lagging behind a bit… But flesh cannot help us in this, God is the one who works in us both to do His will and good pleasure.
So let’s pray dears because I know I need help here too…

 

Prayer:

Father help us to love you deeply, enough for us to pass the test of obedience.
May our hearts beat for you like our Father Abraham’s did.
Whatever you ask may we be ready to do, not a minute too late but in due season.
Grace Lord.
Grace to obey you promptly…in Jesus name I have prayed, amen.
So my blog fam, if God is working on you in this area right now, let Him work.
It’s painful but when your test results come out, I am sure that the joy will be unspeakable.
Abraham’s joy still thrives today even though he isn’t the world anymore.
Jesus’ joy after obedience is what we are still enjoying today.
Let God work in you.

Let God work in me.
Let God work in us.

 

And till we meet up here again, remember, today is a good day to become progressively like Jesus Christ.

 

Love,
Frances

 

 

 

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