datethewordtest

Tag: Obey

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 6 (8/6) is Deuteronomy 8:6

    “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” – Deuteronomy 8:6
    The Foundational Pieces 

    As Moses is preparing God’s people to go into the Promise Land he tells them in Deuteronomy 8:1 that “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers.”  Our verse to DATE continues this thought of verse 1 by stating clearly that they are to keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him.”

    Deuteronomy 8:6 gives us three words that will be foundational for living life according to how God desires.  The three words are KEEP, WALK, and FEAR. 

    We are to KEEP or OBEY His commandments.  His commandments are not burdensome (I John 5:3) and we know that we know Him (I John 2:3) “if we keep His commandments.”
    1 John 2:4 says that “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”  

    We are to WALK, WALKING IN HIS WAYS.  The idea of the word “walk” in both OT And NT is how one LIVES.  We are to LIVE according to GOD’S WAYS!   God Himself pleads in Psalm 81:13 saying, “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!”  John writes that “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:6) The NLT says it this way:  “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

    David gives us a great prayer for learning how to walk in His ways.  Psalms 143:8 says, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.”  Psalm 143:8 is a prayer of asking God to help me know His WORD so I can know His WAYS so I can know how to WALK, to walk like Jesus!

    We are to KEEP His commandments and we are to WALK in HIs WAYS, and we are to FEAR HIM!  To fear Him is not to be AFRAID where we cower but rather it is to be in AWE where we adore Him and hold Him in the highest of RESPECT and REVERENCE!   

    Keeping God’s commandments and walking in His ways and fearing Him opens all types of blessings to flow into your life!  Psalm 128:1 says, “Blessed is everyone that fears the LORD; that walks in His ways.“

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 6 (8/6) is Deuteronomy 8:6. It says, “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”

    KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!  WALK IN HIS WAYS!! FEAR HIM!!!

    Continue Strong living as He would have you live,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 23 (7/23) is Jeremiah 7:23

    “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be
    your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have
    commanded you, that it may be well with you.” – Jeremiah 7:23
    Trust and Obey

    Our wonderful, loving, great, and glorious God looks for His people to OBEY! It is a theme spoken over and over.  The first time we see God’s call to obey Him is in Exodus as from Exodus 19:5 we read “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”  Throughout Deuteronomy, one will read of the calls to OBEY God.  Here are but a few examples:
    Deut. 12:28  “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do [what is] good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.
    Deut. 13:4  “You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
    Deut. 15:5  “Only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.

    Obedience opens doors of blessings while disobedience brings burdens accompanied by heartache and pain which sometimes comes from the discipline of God, but more often from the very consequences of the sin.  

    When it comes to how much God VALUES obedience, we only have to read what Samuel said to King Saul in I Samuel 15:22. It reads, “Then Samuel said: “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,..”  OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE.
     
    Our God also wants us to walk in His ways. We are not to walk the ways of the world or surely not in the selfish ways of our own hearts.   To walk in His ways is to WALK WITH HIM and to WALK LIKE HIM!

    Are you obeying His commands? Are you walking in the ways of God?

    Sometimes as I read a verse a song comes to mind and with Jeremiah 7:23 I can’t help but think of Trust and Obey.  Here is a portion of that hymn:
    When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word What a glory He sheds on our way!
    While we do His good will, He abides with us still And with all who will trust and obey!
    Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet Or we’ll walk by His side in the way
    What He says we will do, where He sends we will go Never fear, only trust and obey!
    Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 23 (7/23) is Jeremiah 7:23. It says, “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.”

    Obedience opens doors of BLESSINGS!  Disobedience brings burdens!

    Continue Strong trusting and OBEYING GOD,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     
  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 2 (6/2) is Ephesians 6:2

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 2 (6/2) is Ephesians 6:2

    ““Honor your father and mother,” which is the first
    commandment with promise.” – Ephesians 6:2
    Respect for others starts with RESPECT for Parents

    The Apostle Paul is giving God’s instructions for the family in the Book of Ephesians.  He has given instructions to the husband and the wife in chapter 5 and now he is giving instructions to children. Children are to OBEY their parents. (Eph. 6:1) With that said the apostle Paul places the FIFTH commandment of the Ten Commandments before his readers reminding them to ““Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise.”   

    For just a moment let us consider the fifth commandment.  The fifth commandment begins the section of the commandments that speak to our relationships with others and the first relationship we have is with our parents.

    With the 5th commandment, we see a SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP of children with their father and their mother.  We then read of a SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT in which children are to HONOR their father and their mother.  To HONOR is to first and foremost show RESPECT.  It is holding the parents in the highest esteem.  It is placing on them great VALUE, leading the child to LISTEN to the parent’s instructions and insights on living life!  It brings about a desire not to disappoint. 

    A disobedient child brings disappointment.

    The verse then reminds us that the commandment comes with a SURE REWARD as God blesses the child that obeys and honors their parent. It is worth noting that Proverbs tells of what may happen to the child that disobeys and dishonors their parent.  From Proverbs 30:17 we read (warning – it is not pretty), “The eye that mocks his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it.”  Needless to say, God is serious about children honoring their parents! 

    One final thought – if children are NOT being taught to be respectful at home, and respectful to parents how can we expect children to be respectful in public, with teachers and others in authority?  While the verse is addressed to children, it is incumbent that PARENTS TEACH CHILDREN TO OBEY, TO RESPECT, and TO HONOR their PARENTS.  

    QUESTION: If you are a parent receiving this devotional let me ask WHEN is the last time you taught Eph. 6:1 and 2 to your children? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 2 (6/2) is Ephesians 6:2. It says, ““Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise.”

    God honors and blesses the home that honors and obeys Him!

    Continue Strong implementing His instructions for the family,
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 29 (5/29) is Deuteronomy 5:29

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 29 (5/29) is Deuteronomy 5:29

    “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and 
    always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them
    and with their children forever!”  – Deuteronomy 5:29

    God’s PLEA should be our PURPOSE!!! 

    What is your heart’s passion?  God makes a plea that we would have a heart that is passionate about having reverence and respect for God. Having reverence and respect for God is what it means to FEAR Him.  God is not looking for us to be AFRAID of Him, but He is looking for us to be in AWE of Him.  Being in AWE should lead to ADORATION and WORSHIP.

    Do you fear the Lord?   

    Furthermore, God wants us to keep, to OBEY His commandments. Please do not miss the word “ALL” in this verse. We don’t get to pick and choose the commandments we obey. 

    Do you keep, obey His commandments? Is your heart prone to keeping ALL His commandments? One should never say they fear God or love God while living in disobedience. Obedience is most certainly connected to fearing the Lord and loving the Lord.  Do you recall that Jesus said, “If you love me KEEP my commandments?”  John 14:15 

    Our verse for DATING provides a tremendous reminder that how we live today affects our tomorrow and affects our children’s future!  Obedience opens God’s multiple doors and windows of blessings upon our lives.  

    How will you respond to God’s plea? You have read what kind of heart He wants.  Will your heart be turned toward Him with a desire to please Him and carry out His purpose for our lives?

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 29 (5/29) is Deuteronomy 5:29. It says, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their childrenforever!” 

    From Deut. 5:29, Let us answer God’s plea with our reverence and obedience! Let our heart be about God’s heart!!!

    Continue Strong with reverence and obedience to God,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    PS – Worth noting Proverbs 20:7 as it says, “The righteous who walks in his integrity bring blessing upon his children after him!”

  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 5 (5/5) is Luke 5:5

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 5 (5/5) is Luke 5:5

    “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”” – Luke 5:5
    Choosing to TRUST and OBEY What He Says

    Various stories in the Bible help us to see the real-life struggles of trusting and obeying the Lord. The story of Jesus telling Simon Peter (a professional fisherman) to launch out into the deep and drop his nets for a catch is one of those stories.  To get the full understanding of the struggles and then the surrender notice Luke 5:1-4.  It says, “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the Word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

    Simon Peter, the professional fisherman has just heard an order from a carpenter that goes against what Peter knows about fishing.  Peter responds with a REASON that what Jesus just said will not work.  They had already been fishing and had come up empty.  And coming up empty as a fisherman is embarrassing.  This order to go fishing in the wrong place at the wrong time looked to Peter that he was going to be embarrassed again. So he tells Jesus, his master,  “Master, we have toiled (labored, wore ourselves out) all night and caught nothing.”

    I see myself and maybe you see yourself sounding like Peter as Jesus tells us what He wants us to do.   I KNOW what works and what does not work.  I KNOW what looks absurd and ridiculous and yes what is impossible.  I am thinking you have been there with God.  Maybe you are there at this very moment.

    What do YOU do when God tells you to do what appears to be absurd, ridiculous, and impossible? 

    I think this story is so helpful as we struggle with what God wants us to do.  We can learn from Simon Peter how he made the decision to TRUST and OBEY what seems absurd – ridiculous – crazy – impossible.  His decision starts with one word and that word is NEVERTHELESS.  “Nevertheless” reveals a change, a change of thinking.   Peter is going to TRUST that Jesus knows best. 

    Make no mistake Luke 5:5 is a major moment in the development of Simon Peter’s faith. With the word “NEVERTHELESS,” he moved to the level of TRUSTING AND OBEYING.  

    If we are going to OBEY Jesus there will be a crucial moment where we have to TRUST Him.  We will have to decide to stop believing that we know what is best and decide that HE KNOWS BEST.  It is not easy. The struggle is real.  That is why you will have to say NEVERTHELESS!

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 5 (5/5) is Luke 5:5.  It says, “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net.”

    Are you facing a NEVERTHELESS moment right now?  Let Peter’s story of struggling with doing what Jesus said encourage you, encourage you to TRUST AND OBEY.  

    Oh BTW, don’t miss the results of trusting and obeying.  Luke 5:6 “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”  What Jesus said would happen did happen.

    Continue Strong TRUSTING AND OBEYING JESUS
    And remember to DATE THE WORD