
The Difference Obedience Makes

Although hurting terribly about the loss of her Lord, Mary was first to the tomb, and first to find the tomb empty. No doubt, she was one of the first to pray for the safety and peace of the body of Jesus who had been crucified. But like us, when we see answer to that prayer we are in deep shock and disbelief. Often we say things like: “I can’t believe it!”; or “Who would have ever thought!”; or “We sure were ‘lucky’ to see the change in events today!” Friends, like Mary who prayed earnestly for her Master, we too must pray in earnest. We must learn to pray with such compassion that it consumes us. We hurt and even cry out to God for that concern. Then, we look with such anticipation and anxious expectation for any sign of answered prayer, so that we can quickly praise God with a thankful heart for hearing His children and answerring our prayers. Remember, God may answer prayer in His way. Totally unexpected ways from our ways, but He is in control. Let Him be God!
Don’t try to-
Figure your way through,
Reason your way through,
Guess your way through,
Feel your way through,
Push your way through,
Manipulate your way through,
Fake your way through.
What should you do?
Trust your way through! We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. 2 Chronicles 20:12 AMP
Pray your way through! Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance. Ephesians 6:18 AMP
Believe your way through! This is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4 AMP
Walk your way through! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:2-3 NLT
Praise your way through! This happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Joshua 6:20 NKJV
-Devotional by Roy Lessin, from his blog Meet Me In The Meadow.
David, the king of a vast domain, Israel, made sure that his people were always treated fairly and justly. This is not just my opinion, this is verbatim from verse 14. Friend, in verse (6) we see that David was controlled by the Lord. That verse tells us that The Lord made him victorious everywhere. Now to read that he deeply cared for his people falls right into place, because I know that in spite of how he may have felt about certain factions of his kingdom, God was instilling in him the importance and the love to care for all of God’s people. Do you struggle with accepting, or loving some people? How’s your connection to the source of real love? Is God controlling your love for others? You will deeply care for those you love. There will be no prejudice or unfair treatment for some when we love as Jesus did, and as He has taught us to do, and as He will guide us to do. Let’s get closely connected to the source so that we may care/love like He did and like He intended us to do.
Jesus cared for and showed love to all while He was alive. Now even hanging on the cross, He tenderly provided for his mother based on His impending death. This is awesome that, although God removes one comfort from us, he raises up another for us, where we never even suspected. Christ’s example teaches all men to honor their parents in life and death; to provide for their wants, and to promote their comfort by every means in their power. This is in stark contrast from what we see today when we visit nursing homes and realize that some have dropped their parents off and never went back to visit them. Friend, in spite of the struggles that we face today, we must care for our parents. It’s a part of God’s law, plus it is evidence of our love for them. Let us love like Jesus showed us – especially our parents. Even this is part of our Christian witness to a lost world!