In our current study in Deuteronomy, the theme of obedience to the Lord is front and center. In this book of the Bible we see the Israelites who have been wandering in the desert for forty years. They have yet to enter the Promised Land due to their disobedience to the Lord.

It’s so easy to read Deuteronomy and think to ourselves, “Why don’t they get it? If I were an Israelite, I would have surely done things differently.” Is this actually true? The reality is that we are human just as the Israelites were human. Our bend is to desire to go our own way, to do our own thing. Even as Christians, knowing that God has the ultimate best plans for our lives, we find ourselves wandering down a path of self-indulgence and destruction.  If you’re anything like me, this is one of the things about myself that frustrates me so much! So my question is, what can we do about it? First of all, learning to walk so closely with the Lord and see where He is leading is key. Digging into the Word and getting to know the Lord, his heart for us, and his promises is so important as well. Not just hearing the Lord but hearing and obeying, even when the steps ahead look uncertain and scary. That is tough for me-to hear and OBEY, especially when things look impossible or too big for my brain to figure out on my own.

I love reading books from author Corrie Ten Boom. She was a prisoner in a concentration camp and was miraculously released. She then used her story to share Jesus with so many people around the world. She’s quoted as saying, “Obedience is easy when you know you are being guided by a God who never makes mistakes.” My prayer for us is that we choose obedience because we know the God that we serve. We understand his perfect, unchanging nature-therefore we say “YES LORD I HEAR YOU AND I WILL DO WHAT YOU ARE CALLING ME TO DO.” Sometimes that means taking just the first step. He can and will use our obedience in so many incredible ways.

Do you know the Father’s love for you? Do you know that He sacrificed His only Son Jesus so that you and I would be saved, forgiven and freed from death? Do you know that He has a perfect plan for your life? I encourage you to spend time in the Bible, pray for God to reveal Himself to you, for an obedient heart, and the desire to do God’s will in your life.