Your parents/guardians are the first lessons of obedience that you will ever be taught.
They are the ones that place guidelines on your life for your safety and to teach you how to be the best human and often times a better human than they knew to be.
The older you get the more frustrating the rules become, because with age comes wisdom. Puberty comes and we think we know better or more than our parents. They don’t understand. They don’t know what we’re going through, they don’t get why we feel the way we feel, why our logic is more sound than theirs.
Yet, with age comes wisdom and knowledge is sometimes a thing experienced.
So we get older and we realize, that though it didn’t make sense at the time, our parents knew better than we thought.
This is the same relationship we have with God. He is our Father and we are His stubborn, know-it-all children. He tells us to go left, we go right and often full speed into a brick wall.
The Old Testament in particular is a series of examples of God saying, "Don't do that" and His people doing exactly what He told them not to, followed by the consequences of their actions. And even though God doesn't always open up the ground and swallow us whole right away, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The third law of physics may not have been recorded until the 1600s, but it had been in action way before then.
Just like when our parents told us to slow down before running around that corner, or not to play in the kitchen while they were cooking, because they understood that danger/harm was inevitable, God's instruction has always worked the same way.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
The Bible is a book of instructions that God has given us to follow. Whenever we behave contrary to God's word we are acting in disobedience. Whenever we are disobedient, even asking for forgiveness does not exempt us from the consequences of our actions. God in His infinite and unconditional love often demonstrates His grace and mercy towards us by not allowing what we deserve, but we do not get a pass. Forgiveness heals our hearts and often softens the blow, but it does not erase the act.
More importantly the Bible's very existence means that all knowledge doesn't have to be experienced. Have you ever wondered how much more you could learn, how much further in our walk we could go, if we stopped allowing ourselves to get in our own way? If we didn’t choose to challenge every Biblocal principle that didn’t bow to our feelings?
Daily I ask God for strength, courage, and most simply the want to, to be obedient to His Word. Especially when I don’t agree. I’m learning to trust that God always has my best interest at heart, even when I think I know better.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8 KJV
God holds our future. He knows how our actions today are going to affect us later, and He has purposed for us to be victorious. Remembering that helps me to do what I know is right, even when I don’t feel like it.
"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
1 Samuel 15:22
How are you going to practice better obedience today?
