Happy Tuesday to you!

The word of God tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. From that phrase, we also gather that obedience is required to please God too. How do we come up with that last part? Well, in order to demonstrate faith in God, there are three steps. First, we have to hear from God. Next, we have to trust His word. Last but not least, we have to obey His word. Let's use one of God's commands as an example. Matthew 6:14 says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you". Therefore, step one is to listen to God's command to forgive others. The next step is to trust in the authority and promise contained in God’s command. The last step is to practice forgiveness. The promise attached to Matthew 6:14 is that if we forgive others, God will forgive us. (The consequence of unforgiveness is shared in Matthew 6:15.) If we have faith in the goodness of God’s word, then we should have no hesitancy in obeying it.

The promise to those who [in faith] obey God’s word is awesome! The word of God says He is a rewarder of those who trust Him. When you obey God, you demonstrate your trust in Him. In return, God honors your faithfulness. That’s wonderful news! As you know, at the end of each post I share a scripture that deals with the day’s message. Today’s closing scripture points to a man who exhibited tremendous faith in God. If anyone could express the greatness of God’s reward towards the obedient, he could. You may have learned of him during a worship service, bible study, or through the familiar childhood chorus: “Father Abraham, had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them! And, so are you! So, let’s just praise the Lord.” If you are unfamiliar with the story and want to learn about Abraham’s obedience through faith, read the book of Genesis starting from chapter 12.

In conclusion, if you want to have a closer relationship with God, trusting Him is a definite way to make that happen. So let down your guard, surrender your fears, and believe Him.

Love,

CompassionateLee

Romans 4:13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.”