Obey

In my quiet time this morning I read Deuteronomy Chapter 11. In this chapter God commands the Israelites to “love the lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”. Simple. To love God and serve him with my whole heart requires a bending of my will (what I want) to His will (what I need). I’ve heard this saying all of my life, “what I want is not always what I need and what I need isn’t always what I want”. I need God thus I must obey.

I suddenly remember an old church hymn, Trust and obey.

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.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly
drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide
while we trust and obey.
Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth
richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is
blessed if we trust and obey.
Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the
altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for
them who will trust and obey.
Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by
His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Refrain

The truth of scripture (Deut. 11, John 17, Romans 6) is that if when we
obey God promises his strength, blessings, protection from evil, unity in faith
and purpose, and to lead us into righteousness.

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