Abraham: A Life of Obedience

11/09/21 – 11/18/21

Disobedience: The Trail to Spiritual Stagnation

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  11/14/21

There are times when we confuse our happiness with God’s will. When everything is running smoothly and we are as happy as can be, we presume that we are in the center of God’s will. However, when things take a turn for the worse, we presume just the opposite: We are not in God’s will.

Our initial reaction to friction in our lives is to change something. If everything looks unsettled, then we must be doing something wrong. Yet, if the unsettling is taking place around us and not in our spirit, God wants us to turn to Him and hold on.

As Abraham dealt with what he viewed as a delay in receiving God’s promise for his life, he tried to change his circumstances on his own. If God was not going to open Sarah’s womb, Abraham sought an alternative way to fulfill God’s promise for his life.

God desires to fulfill His promises for us. He never intends for us to hear His promises and then go and try to make them happen ourselves. Even when our lives seem stuck, we must be obedient at all costs. Disobedience delays God’s promises for our lives.

Anyone can obey God when life is easy. When obeying God means helping someone with minimal effort on our part, we joyfully oblige. But when obeying God means there is sacrifice or waiting involved, we must submit and persevere by remembering who is the Lord.

God may ask you to go through some difficult things during your life. But, when you follow His lead, all that you endure will be for your best and for His glory.

Prayer: Lord, help me obey You today, no matter how simple or difficult the task seems. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).