“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.”
The words to this song do not belong to those who seek His face only in times of trouble, who only call upon the Lord when times get bad, when things are not going as they would wish they would. These words belong to those who have been saved by grace through faith, whose lives are dedicated in service to the will of the Almighty, who trust in the promises of the Scriptures without doubt.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5)
But that trust must be carried by obedience, for John 14:15 is also a truth.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
We live in days of approaching darkness, and just as the light of day gives way to the night slowly, that darkness is almost imperceptible to many, instead of the once monthly incredible evil act, now it is almost a daily occurrence, and minor sins, as they are called today, are barely noticed by most, and forgotten as quickly as they occur.
Sin my friends should never be a commonplace occurrence, no more than our trust and obedience should be no matter the days we find ourselves in.
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:6)
That acknowledgment is complete and total trust in His direction for our lives, it is obedience to His Word and will for us, it is dying to self and placing our lives in His hands without any doubts.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)
Those momentary doubts we all experience at times, is when we are to test the Spirits, for our adversary has been given free reign in many areas in these dark days, deceptions abound and those who do not pray for wisdom, for Spiritual discernment, for a heart blessed to be able to discern between good and evil, for truth, may not be led astray fully, but can lose their place on the path.
In some form, all of us who are hid in Christ have been in that position, we have fixated on something that is not profitable for the Kingdom of the Most High, and most generally it is some news event of the world.
Deception can arrive by diversions as well as temptations my friends, remember that.
I would venture that it is impossible to not be swayed at times by some “breaking news” event, the supposed pandemic was proof of that, and many there were who called on the Almighty for protection in those days who were concerned only with the truth of this verse that you have seen many times in these short letters to you.
“And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” (Job 2:4)
And the Lord’s reply to them?
“I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;” (Prov. 1:26)
Trust and obey, in times of plenty or want, when trials and tribulations arrive, as the darkness is approaching, never stop trusting, never stop being obedient.
There are many more than what we would like to believe who only profess Him with their lips, who only think about Him when trouble approaches, who in all truth have no fear of God before their eyes until their lives are on the line.
This verse is for those of you who understand these truths, who have committed your life to the will of God, who mean it when you say, “Thy will be done.”
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)
We are the elect of God, we will not be deceived, at least not for long, we will doubt at times, but not for long, our obedience may be small at times, but it is sincere.
We know the difference between joy and happiness, but those moments of elation, those moments when our hearts soar because of Him we cherish, and they arrive when we trust and obey.
