Trust and Obey

Pastor Carol Grace ♦ July 12, 2020 ♦ Leave a comment

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Trust and Obey

1 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. 

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way 
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 

1 Samuel 15:22

But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

When we were in Youth Group, we played a game called the trust game. One person stood with another standing directly behind them. The person in front was instructed to close his or her eyes, cross their arms, and fall backward, trusting the person behind them to catch them before they hit the floor. Admittedly, I was so small I never worried too much whether I would be caught. But no one wanted me to be the one catching. I was a head shorter than anyone else in the group and would clearly have fallen with the person I was trying to save from ending up on the floor.

Our scripture speaks of the importance of obedience to God, and we need to realize that obedience and trust go hand in hand. King Saul was going into battle, and he was instructed to wait until the prophet Samuel arrived to offer a sacrifice to God. Samuel was late, and Saul became fearful that the battle would be lost if the sacrifice was not given, so he took it upon himself to present the sacrifice to God instead of waiting. Did you remember that because of this rash act, King Saul would lose his kingdom?

Sometimes we can do things with the best of intentions, and other times out of fear, but the bottom line is that God doesn’t just request our obedience, He demands it.

You might be thinking, Pastor Carol, this isn’t a very encouraging message. We want to hear hope! But listen. Our hope is never in our own actions, but in waiting on God, listening to God, and living according to His Word.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Does this scripture sound like a suggestion? No, it is not. When we acknowledge God, we are recognizing His rights, His authority, His status. When we trust and obey God, He will not only make our crooked paths straight, He will many times place us upon the right paths. God does not lead us down blind alleys, but instead He shines the light of His understanding upon us when we determine to walk in His word.

Trust and obey, there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Receive now this blessing: May the Lord our God give strength to we His people, and may He overwhelm us with His peace.

Take the name of Jesus with you and share Him with all you meet.