Obedience

John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command."


I am reading Henry and Richard Blackaby's Experiencing God.  There is a discussion of obedience, command, and law. Those terms tend to sound restrictive to us, especially in the context of obeying God and His commands and laws.  But the authors explained this concept in such a clear way, I wanted to share it with you. The following is an excerpt from the book:


Avoiding Land Mines


Suppose you were in a war-torn country, and you had to cross a field full of land mines. If a local soldier knew exactly where every one of them was buried and offered to take you through the field, would you protest and say, "I don't want you to tell me what to do. I want to be free to make my own choices"? I don't know about you, but I would stay as close to that person as I could. I certainly would not go wandering off. His directions to me would not restrict me; they would preserve my life. As we walked together, he would say, "Don't go that way, because that path will kill you.  Go this way and live."


To obey God is to be free to live the life He has ordained for you. To be on His path is to be in His will. While there will still be trials and storms, He will lead us through the mine-field of life, and turn us away from the path of destruction by sin and keep us on His path of life.


Dear Heavenly Father, help me to follow you closely, obeying your commands. Your ways lead to life, and I want an abundant life in You. I seek You and Your guidance with all my heart. Lead me on the path of Your perfect will.  Amen.