Walking in Obedience

Scriptures: Psalms 37:4, Psalms 119:37, Proverbs 3:5-6

Take Delight in the Lord

Have you ever had to make a decision between something that makes the most logical sense on paper and the thing you believe God has asked you to do? The tension that comes when you recognize the two are not the same can feel confusing. By default, we tend to “follow our heart,” choose whatever we want or whatever feels good, and go with the path of least resistance, but sometimes what God calls us to isn’t the thing that feels right or seems the most obvious. More often than not, the path God asks us to take requires us to set aside what we want and what we can understand and choose to follow Him in spite of how wild or impossible it seems.

Proverbs 3 emphasizes the need to trust the Lord and not opt for what we can understand in our own minds. Allowing God to lead us requires our full submission and focus, which also means turning away from “worthless” things, as we see in Psalm 119:37. How to know the right “way” to go starts with what—or Who—we set our focus on. If our attention isn’t on the Lord, we will miss the mark of what to do and which way to go.

Psalm 37:4 tells us to “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” In other words, delight first, and the desires will come. Here, the word “delight” means to be soft or tender. The psalmist is intentional to not simply say “be delightful,” but direction is given to point that tenderness toward the Lord and not ourselves. When we are tender toward ourselves, we tend to our own desires, but when we are tender toward the Lord, we tend to His desires for us. The more we focus our attention and affection on Him, the more the desires of our hearts line up with His. The path isn’t always easy, but there is an ease when you remain submitted to Him.

Maybe you feel like you’re at a fork in the road, and you’re trying to decide which way to go. Maybe you’re realizing the path of least resistance doesn’t lead to lasting fulfillment. Or maybe you’re in the midst of navigating what it looks like to fully depend on the Lord. Wherever you find yourself today, stop and take a moment to refocus your mind on Jesus. Turn away from your Instagram or newsfeed, set aside the ways you might want to fight back with logic, and fix your eyes on Him for no other reason than to simply delight in His presence.

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:28-30, James 4:7-8, Galatians 1:10

Submit Yourself to God

You know when you step out—or are even just considering stepping out—in faith and there is that one person who speaks up to remind you of what you don’t have? Their voice is one of limitation, trying to mark the boundaries you must stay within. Often, this voice comes from someone who stays within limited boundaries themselves, and therefore, doesn’t fully step into a greater realm of authority in the area God has called them to.

In response to those people who are trying to keep us from moving forward, we can take a page from David’s book in 1 Samuel 17. As David inquired about the battle with Goliath and the reward that was being offered to whomever fought and won, his oldest brother was quick to set limitations, pointing David back to where he came from and accusing him of having narrow thoughts and selfish motives. David could have cowered or stepped back, thinking his brother was probably right. Instead, he turned away to someone else who would give the answer he was looking for and point him toward something greater than himself.

James 4 reiterates this practice by saying, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” By submitting to God, and only God, and by resisting the tactics of the enemy—to steal, kill, and destroy—the voices will flee. David doesn’t argue with his brother or try to defend himself. He remains submitted and humble, and as the Lord lifts him up, he is not torn down by the voices of the enemy.

Don’t settle for living under the approval or expectation of anyone other than God. They cannot lift you up; they can only bring you down.

First, name the negative voices in your life. It’s important to recognize who is quick to set limitations on you. Now consider who you might turn to when the negative voices speak up. Write down the names of those people who will point you to something greater than yourself and reach out to them when you hear the voice of limitation start piping up.

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:31-40, Exodus 4:1-2, 2 Peter 1:3

Use What You Have

There are so many voices out there today offering tips and tricks, promising to pave the way to success with their own how-to resources. Some resources are better than others, but it’s important to use wisdom and discernment in determining whether any particular resource is right for you, right now.

Let’s go back to David as he moves toward the battle against Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. King Saul is supportive of David’s desire to fight against Goliath, but he dresses David in his own armor, thinking that would be the best way for David to move forward. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, King Saul has a voice of manipulation in trying to achieve a certain outcome by offering his own proven strategy. Notice how David doesn’t immediately reject the offer. He tries it out, but ultimately decides it’s not going to work for him. We’ll see David dressed in a suit of armor later in his life, but for this battle, he chooses what he knows and what he has in his own hands.

When we begin to walk out what God is calling us to in obedience, just like with Moses in Exodus 4, He will often ask us to notice what we have in our own hands rather than giving us something new or different. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” The truth is, what we need in order to walk in obedience and accomplish what God has called us to do is not what someone else has but what we already have.

It’s easy to list all the things we don’t have that we think we might benefit from as we walk in obedience, but take a moment to notice what you already have. What character qualities do you have, what habits do you keep, what physical things do you hold, what relationships do you have? Take a second look, and consider how these things are already a benefit to you.

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:41-47, Exodus 14:13-14, Ephesians 6:12

The Lord Will Fight for You

The only thing worse than wondering to yourself, “What if I fail?” is someone confirming your fear and telling you that you will fail. Unlike the voice of limitation, which tells you that you can’t do it, or the voice of manipulation, which tells you that you don’t have what it takes, the voice of intimidation tells you that you will not succeed. As Goliath basically says to David in 1 Samuel 17, you won’t make it out of here alive.

Our circumstances may not be as drastic, but the voices we hear can certainly paint the details to make it seem that way. Our response, like David’s, should point back to the Lord rather than the details of our situation. David says, in 1 Samuel 17:45, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” David makes it clear that while Goliath thinks he is fighting the flesh-and-blood David, the battle is actually much bigger, and he is up against the Lord of Armies.

You might look and feel like David—a young boy with a slingshot facing a giant—but notice how his words shift the focus from his own stature and weapon to the Lord Almighty. He doesn’t say, “I come against you with a slingshot and five smooth stones.” In fact, he doesn’t mention the weapons he physically has at all. He calls out the ultimate truth: “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (v. 47). We can do the same thing in our own lives. The Word of God is our weapon. David used it in response to Goliath. Moses used it in response to the Israelites’ fear when they were being chased by the Egyptian army. Even Jesus used it in response to the enemy in the wilderness.

You don’t need to be afraid; the Lord will fight for you.

When you hear the voice of intimidation creep in, shift the focus and speak the truth out loud: The battle is the Lord’s.

Scriptures: 1 Timothy 4:12-13, Matthew 6:33, Isaiah 40:31

He Will Sustain You

Sometimes the hardest part of walking in obedience isn’t starting but continuing. As scary as it might feel to take that first step of faith into the unknown, we are often full of confidence and excitement because we have nothing else to lean on except Jesus. The possibility of what He might do in our own lives and in the lives of the people around us is endless, and we can’t wait to experience it. After a while, we start seeing how things fall and land, or maybe even crash-land, and we have a better idea of what’s happening and how to navigate it. There is less possibility and more predictability, and we are tempted to take the reins from God and think, “I can take it from here.” The problem is, we can’t.

The only way to sustain our walk in obedience is by continuing to submit and devote ourselves to the Lord, not just in times when the voice of the enemy comes in opposition but also in times when things seem to be going well.

Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example… Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture…” Timothy is not just given instructions on what to do, but Paul reminds him how: Focus your attention. Read the Word, the truth, out loud. Paul tells him to do that, not just once, but continuously until he comes. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus outlines the proper order: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Seek Him. Pay attention to Him. Devote yourself to speaking His Word. Everything else will come. And, as Isaiah 40:31 says, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

You can do it. You can run and not grow weary.

Our dependency upon His power and strength does not fluctuate based on our circumstances. Consider what your praise looks like when things are going well and what it looks like when things aren’t going well. What are some habits you can consistently practice to help keep your focus on Jesus, whether things seem to be going well or not?